Question

While just playing with jQuery/JavaScript I ran across this problem. I could capture Alt and Ctrl keys but NOT Del and certainly not all of them together.

$(document).ready(function() {
    $("#target").keydown(function(event) {
        if (event.ctrlKey && event.altKey && event.keyCode == '46') {
            alter("Ctrl-Alt-Del combination");
        }
    });
});

Is it possible to capture all these three keys together?

Answer 1

I’m not sure about other operating systems, but I know that on Windows, Ctrl+Alt+Del is a system keystroke, which is intercepted at the top level, always by Windows. As far as I know, it is not passed any further on from there, allowing you to KNOW that whatever comes up from it is official.

I know that for Gnome (and I believe KDE), hitting it pulls up the shutdown dialog, and thus, is captured by the window manager, and not passed on.

So, unless Mac just ignores it, no, you cannot get that particular combination, due to its magic to the OS.

EDIT: just something I noticed, you have alter not alert in your code. I don’t think it would work either way with it like that.