[ltp] How to set "compose" key, T520 with no DE

[Tamas Papp]

Hi Keith,

You can use

setxkbmap -print

to query your settings.  You can also use setxkbmap to specify your
layout (see its man page), so you can experiment without changing
/etc/default/keyboard.

us-intl allows you to type accented characters, eg 'a => á.  If you
don't do that often then you probably don't need it, especially if you
have the compose key.  See http://hermit.org/Linux/ComposeKeys.html for
a nice summary of what you can do with the latter.

Best,

Tamas

On Thu, Dec 20 2012, keitho@strucktower.com wrote:

> Hi Tamas-
>
> Hmm... I must be missing a step...
>
> I manually edited the /etc/default/keyboard file to read exactly as the
> one you have provided. But after rebooting nothing changes- CapsLk still
> works as it always has, shift-CapsLk apparently doesn't change anything,
> no compose function with prsc.
>
> BTW- how is the us-intl different from the us? Is there a webpage that
> describes this?
>
> Thanks,
> Keith
>
>> Message: 2
>> From: Tamas Papp <tkpapp@gmail.com>
>> To: linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
>> Subject: Re: [ltp] How to set "compose" key, T520 with no DE
>> Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:56:25 +0100
>> Reply-To: linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
>>
>> Hi Keith,
>>
>> Just use XKBOPTIONS.  Here is my /etc/default/keyboard:
>>
>> # Check /usr/share/doc/keyboard-configuration/README.Debian for
>> # documentation on what to do after having modified this file.
>>
>> # The following variables describe your keyboard and can have the same
>> # values as the XkbModel, XkbLayout, XkbVariant and XkbOptions options
>> # in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
>>
>> XKBMODEL="pc105"
>> XKBLAYOUT="us,us"
>> XKBVARIANT=",altg-intl"
>> XKBOPTIONS="grp:shift_caps_switch,terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp,compose:prsc"
>>
>> # If you don't want to use the XKB layout on the console, you can
>> # specify an alternative keymap.  Make sure it will be accessible
>> # before /usr is mounted.
>> # KMAP=/etc/console-setup/defkeymap.kmap.gz
>> BACKSPACE="guess"
>>
>> This setup
>>
>> 1. disables CapsLock's original function, Shift+CapsLock switches to the
>> us-intl layout, CapsLock switches back to US (grp:..., you might want to
>> remove this if you don't need it),
>>
>> 2. terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp allows me to kill X with this key
>> combination,
>>
>> 3. compose:prsc makes PrtSc the compose key.
>>
>> I find this particularly convenient on my T430s.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Tamas
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 20 2012, keitho@strucktower.com wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All-
>>>
>>> I can't figure out how to use a "compose" key with my ThinkPad T520.
>>>
>>> I do not use a DE. Currently I am using the i3 tiling wm with Debian.
>>>
>>> I tried using
>>>
>>> $ sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration
>>>
>>> Using the menus I set the compose key to be the Right Alt key. I then
>>> checked:
>>>
>>> *************************
>>> $ cat /etc/default/keyboard
>>> # Check /usr/share/doc/keyboard-configuration/README.Debian for
>>> # documentation on what to do after having modified this file.
>>>
>>> # The following variables describe your keyboard and can have the same #
>>> values as the XkbModel, XkbLayout, XkbVariant and XkbOptions options #
>>> in
>>> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
>>>
>>> XKBMODEL="pc105"
>>> XKBLAYOUT="us"
>>> XKBVARIANT=""
>>> XKBOPTIONS="lv3:ralt_switch"
>>>
>>> # If you don't want to use the XKB layout on the console, you can
>>> # specify an alternative keymap.  Make sure it will be accessible
>>> # before /usr is mounted.
>>> # KMAP=/etc/console-setup/defkeymap.kmap.gz
>>> BACKSPACE="guess"
>>> ***********************************
>>>
>>> Maybe I am doing it wrong? I press the right alt key, release, then
>>> press
>>> (for example) "o" then "c" which should give me the copyright symbol,
>>> but
>>> does not work. Does not work if I press and hold the right alt key
>>> either .
>>> I have tried other key combinations as well.
>>>
>>> I don't see "what to do after having modified this file" message means-
>>> that file doesn't tell me.
>>>
>>> I can generate special characters using the "Ted" word processing
>>> program's internal symbol creator for documents.
>>>
>>> Is there some default I should be aware of? is there some way to query
>>> the
>>> system to tell what character has been mapped to the compose key?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help,
>>> Keith Ostertag
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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