HISTORY
The introduction of IBM's Personal Computer on 12 August 1981 did many things. One was to standardize the layout and key usage of the PC keyboard. Since then, there have been a few changes to the keyboard:
The function keys moved from the left to the top of the keyboard;
two extra function keys, F11 and F12, were added;
and “Windows” keys were added to the bottom row.
Some changes are often made to the layout of keys on the right size to fit the smaller keyboards on laptops and netbooks, and some additional application shortcut keys have been used, but have never been accepted as standard.
The common keyboard in Australia is a QWERTY keyboard (so named because those are the first letters on the top row) and is the US version (the UK version has a pound sign instead of the dollar sign).
HOW IT WORKS
Each key generates a unique scan code when depressed. The scan code is determined by its position on the keyboard, not what is written on the key. The scan code is associated with a status byte which keeps track of whether a modifier key is depressed to determine what to put in the keyboard buffer. Each key also generates a different scan code when it is released.
USING YOUR KEYBOARD TO PERFORM TASKS
A character at a time right or left arrow keys
A line at a time up or down arrow keys
Beginning of line home key
End of line end key
Up one window page up key
Down one window page down key
Beginning of text ctrl home
End of text ctrl end
Backspace key deletes to the left of cursor
Delete key deletes to the right of cursor
Insert key overtypes or inserts
INDIVIDUAL KEYS AND KEYS IN COMBINATIONS
Only usages common to Windows and Linux are discussed.
Escape Esc is used to back out of situations. When you find yourself in a place you don't want to be, try the Esc key.
Function keys (F1 to F12):
F1 brings up the application's help menu.
F5 in Evince, bring up Presentation view
F11 toggles between full screen and normal
Backspace deletes the character to the left of the cursor
Delete deletes the character to the right of the cursor
PrScr copies the screen contents to the clipboard
Alt-PrScr copies the active window to the clipboard
SysRq has never been used by DOS or Windows
Alt-SysRq + letter performs many system functions in Linux
Scroll Lock not used by most software
Pause interrupts screen output until another key is pressed
Break terminates a program
Ctrl-Break May be used to try to terminate a program
NumLock Normally ON on Windows computers, thus activating the numbers on the numeric keyboard. Switch off to use the arrow keys etc. on the numeric keyboard.
Tab moves cursor to next tab mark or through options in an option box or to next field
Shift-Tab moves backward
Alt-Tab displays a list of open application windows.
hold down Alt and press Tab to cycle through the list.
release to select the highlighted window.
Alt-Shift-Tab cycles in reverse direction
CapsLock The most useless key on the keyboard. It's probably best if you never use it.
Home moves to the beginning of the line
End moves to the end of the line
Enter executes a command
in text, moves down a line (LF/CR combination)
Modifier keys
Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Windows (Super) and combinations thereof
Shift
Shift-alpha key capital letters (upper case)
Shift-other keys selects the character on the upper part of the key
Shift-backtick ~ tilde
Shift-2 @ at sign
Shift-3 # octothorp (in telephony called the hash key)
Shift-7 & ampersand
Shift-Delete permanently deletes an item instead of moving it to the Recycle Bin
Shift-* expand threads in Firefox
Ctrl
Ctrl-A select all
Ctrl-B toggle bold text
Ctrl-C copy selected text or images
Ctrl-I toggle italic text
Ctrl-P send to printer
Ctrl-Q quit the active application
Ctrl-S save the current document
Ctrl-U toggle underlining
Ctrl-V paste the contents of the clipboard
Ctrl-X cut selected text or images
Ctrl-Z undo
Ctrl-right arrow move to beginning of next word
Ctrl-left arrow move to beginning of previous word
Ctrl-Home move to the start of a document
Ctrl-End move to the end of a document
Windows key Press to display start menu (Windows only)
PageUp moves up one screen
PageDown moves down one screen