[et-mgmt-tools][PATCH]:virt-viewer: Load "Send key" menu from XML file

[Patrick Campbell]

Daniel P. Berrange wrote:
> On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 01:50:22PM -0700, Pat Campbell wrote:
>   
>> Attached patch modifies virt-viewer so that it acquires the "Send key"
>> menu contents from an xml file and allows user to load a browsed for
>> keymap def file while running.
>>     
>
> I like the idea of making it configurable, but not the idea of having
> the user create & load XML files for this.
>   

I agree that creating them is an issue, a keymap specific editor within
virt-viewer would be the ideal.

As to loading them I was thinking of a usage scenario where a user has
multiple unique VM to monitor or view.  For instance a Linux, Windows XP
and a NetWare box.  Each of these systems have different keys sequences,
enough so that one map might get rather lengthy. 

In this scenario I thought they would use a bash function for each type:
  nwviewer() {  virt-viewer -k  netware.xml "$1";}
  lviewer() {virt-viewer -k  linux.xml "$1";}
  winxpviewer() {virt-viewer -k winxp.xml "$1";}

A little cumbersome but works. For the general case your profile idea
below would remove the need for this.

> If a user wants a custom send-key set, they'll likely want it preserved
> and used across all instances of virt-viewer automatically every time
> it is started rather than having to load the file.
>   

In general they would always want the same custom set but I think they
need an easy command line option to load an alternative set when
necessary.  I guess my bias for command line options as opposed to
clicking around menus is showing here.

> I think we should store the custom send-key sets in GConf, rather than
> XML files, and at the bottom of the 'send key' menu have an final
> entry 'Edit keys...' which pops up a dialog allowing the user to add
> or remove keys from the menu. Just letting them enter the key name (which
> we can validate by just doing a lookup on the string they enter). GConf
> would ensure changes in one instance are instant applied to all other
> running instances.
>   

Not familiar with GConf, will look into that.

> If we want to get adventurous later on we could add 'profiles' to define
> a set of keys, allowing switching between profiles, and remember which
> profile is associated with each VM UUID. This would allow user to have
> one set of keys for Windows VMs, with anothe for Linux, and another
> for BSD or whatever.
>
> Daniel
>   

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. 

Pat