Arch Linux

kriz

Member

Registered: 2009-06-29

Posts: 96

[solved] us-keyboard and german umlauts

hello
is it possible to get umlauts on a us keyboard? i know that debian has an us_de layout,which allows umlauts on us kbd, but i couldn't find one in arch...
any suggestions/solutions?

Last edited by kriz (2010-02-06 17:31:50)

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„Je verdinglichter die Welt, je dichter das Netz, das der Natur überworfen wurde, desto mehr beansprucht ideologisch das Denken, das jenes Netz spinnt, seinerseits Natur, Urerfahrung zu sein." Theodor W. Adorno [aus: Wozu noch Philosopie]

Ultraman

Member

Registered: 2009-12-24

Posts: 242

Re: [solved] us-keyboard and german umlauts

I'm Dutch, but we also have a sort of "umlaut" on some letters, but less often than you Germans

I have this in my /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10-keymap.fdi:

<merge key="input.xkb.layout" type="string">us</merge>
      <merge key="input.xkb.variant" type="string">altgr-intl</merge>
      <merge key="input.xkb.options" type="string">eurosign:5</merge>

So I use the AltGr as a Compose key when I want to type some special characters.
For "ü" (we dont use that, but you do afaik?), I do:
1. Press AltGr + "          # (" = Shift + ' , so it's actually: AltGr + Shift + ' ), and let go. Nothing will appear on screen yet.
2. Press u
Tadaa: ü

Just like the deadkeys you would have as a default in Windows, but then using the Compose key to get there. I happen to write code from time to time, so I like it when I can get " directly instead of having to press Space to get it on screen after pressing ".
But if you want the deadkeys behaviour, simply use that variant instead or whatever you need to get that working.
There is a nice list, I believe the exact file is listed in the wiki of Xorg somewhere at keyboard section.

Last edited by Ultraman (2010-02-05 20:58:47)

litemotiv

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2008-08-01

Posts: 5,026

Re: [solved] us-keyboard and german umlauts

in addition to what Ultraman says; you can choose the key you want to use as modifier, here's what i use:

 
<merge key="input.xkb.variant" type="string">alt-intl,nodeadkeys</merge>
<merge key="input.xkb.options" type="string">compose:menu</merge>

(i prefer using the menu-key since i don't use that for anything else)

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ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ

kriz

Member

Registered: 2009-06-29

Posts: 96

Re: [solved] us-keyboard and german umlauts

thx, it worked after restarting. i'm using the menu-key for compose. äöüß

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„Je verdinglichter die Welt, je dichter das Netz, das der Natur überworfen wurde, desto mehr beansprucht ideologisch das Denken, das jenes Netz spinnt, seinerseits Natur, Urerfahrung zu sein." Theodor W. Adorno [aus: Wozu noch Philosopie]