Remapping Hardware Buttons: Mi MIX 3

Now that I was able to get my Mi MIX 3 setup with TWRP & a custom ROM (unofficial LineageOS 16 build), I started looking into remapping the AI button to something actually useful. I found a few posts to point me in the right direction, as well as a Magisk module that is supposed to handle this:

I tried out a bunch of the codes to see what would work, & for now just remapped the key to SEARCH, until I can find something better \ more useful.

There is a Magisk module for this, but I had issues making the selection during the install process: Magisk-Modules-Repo/XiaomiAI-remap. When I tried using the volume keys to change the intended function, it was actually changing my volume, not anything on the screen. Pressing the AI button during that process seemed to make changes to the choices, but still couldn’t get it working as intended. Instead, I just used the install.sh script for that module to make the change myself.

File: /system/usr/keylayout/gpio-keys.kl

cat gpio-keys.kl
# Copyright (c) 2013, The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
#
# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
# met:
#     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
#     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
#       copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
#       disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
#       with the distribution.
#     * Neither the name of The Linux Foundation nor the names of its
#       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
#       from this software without specific prior written permission.
#
# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
# WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
# MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT
# ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS
# BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
# CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF
# SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR
# BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
# WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE
# OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN
# IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

key 115   VOLUME_UP
key 114   VOLUME_DOWN
key 102   HOME
key 528   FOCUS
key 766   CAMERA
key 689   CAMERA

I changed key 689 to SEARCH on my device. If I can get the key to open a specific app, then I will likely end up changing the key to perform that function. Sending the keyevent for CAMERA doesn’t appear to do anything on my phone, but that may just be due to running the custom ROM. To test, the command to input key events is: adb shell input keyevent << number or function >>