SUMMARY The rfkill driver of the Linux kernel provides the rfkill-input module, which handles the XF86XK_RFKill key. However, according to https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/driver-api/rfkill.html, the Kconfig option RFKILL_INPUT can be used to disable the "deprecated rfkill-input module (an input layer handler, being replaced by userspace policy code)". Currently, KDE doesn't implement such a userspace policy as far as I know. I just wanted to notify you because NixOS stumbled upon this issue accidentally. See https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/261880. I am not quite sure if plasma-nm is the component responsible for this. However, I found the related bug https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=349744 which is categorized the same way. I also did some quick experiments on Gnome. I think Gnome always handles XF86XK_RFKill and disables the rfkill-input module using the ioctl. STEPS TO REPRODUCE Ensure to use a computer which has an "airplane" key and which is using a rfkill driver (e.g., a typical laptop). 1. Install a kernel with `RFKILL_INPUT` disabled. (The same effect should be achievable using the ioctl mentioned in https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/driver-api/rfkill.html but I didn't test that.) 2. Boot into KDE Plasma. 3. Press the "airplane" key. OBSERVED RESULT Nothing happens. It can be verified using xev that a XF86XK_RFKill key press is sent. EXPECTED RESULT Airplane mode is toggled. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS nixpkgs commit: ca012a02bf8327be9e488546faecae5e05d7d749 KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.8 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.27.8 Qt Version: 5.15.10
Currently for shortcuts we rely on Qt keys, which doesn't have the XF86_RFKILL key. So on that front there is a similar problem as in 475574. On the other hand I think exposing a shortcut for toggling airplane mode is probably reasonable and quite doable.