Arch Linux

buntolo

Member

Registered: 2011-10-11

Posts: 202

Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

I have an UK keyboard but I want to use UK Extended (WinKeys?) layout.

According to the following I should use extd:

$ cat /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/xorg.lst | grep -i uk
  ua              Ukrainian
  gb              English (UK)
  guru            in: Punjabi (Gurmukhi)
  jhelum          in: Punjabi (Gurmukhi Jhelum)
  ike             ca: Inuktitut
  phonetic        ua: Ukrainian (phonetic)
  typewriter      ua: Ukrainian (typewriter)
  winkeys         ua: Ukrainian (WinKeys)
  legacy          ua: Ukrainian (legacy)
  rstu            ua: Ukrainian (standard RSTU)
  rstu_ru         ua: Russian (Ukraine, standard RSTU)
  homophonic      ua: Ukrainian (homophonic)
  extd            gb: English (UK, extended WinKeys)
  intl            gb: English (UK, international with dead keys)
  dvorak          gb: English (UK, Dvorak)
  dvorakukp       gb: English (UK, Dvorak with UK punctuation)
  mac             gb: English (UK, Macintosh)
  mac_intl        gb: English (UK, Macintosh international)
  colemak         gb: English (UK, Colemak)

Using localectl as suggested in the wiki does not work: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … _localectl
It enables extd as X11 layout but it does not work and it disables virtual console keymap, falling back to us layout:

$ localectl set-x11-keymap extd
$ localectl status
   System Locale: LANG=it_IT.UTF-8
                  LC_COLLATE=C
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: extd

The following is not working as well. The right X11 layout displays in X11 Layout but it is false:

$ localectl set-keymap uk
$ localectl status
   System Locale: LANG=it_IT.UTF-8
                  LC_COLLATE=C
       VC Keymap: uk
      X11 Layout: gb
       X11 Model: pc105
     X11 Options: terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp

So far the only way I have found to use uk layout is:

setkbmap gb

Last edited by buntolo (2014-08-13 19:00:20)

buntolo

Member

Registered: 2011-10-11

Posts: 202

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

Should I provide more details?

berbae

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-02-12

Posts: 1,304

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

Hello.
I think 'extd' is a variant, so it should be preceded by a layout:

localectl set-x11-keymap gb pc105 extd terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp

But I am not sure where and when you would need to run this command...

If I were you, instead of using localectl, I would create manually a '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf' file:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option "XkbVariant" "extd"
        Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
EndSection

And restart Xorg.

Edit: correction of the localectl command line above.

Last edited by berbae (2014-08-14 14:23:54)

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 19,113

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

$ localectl set-x11-keymap gb pc105 extd terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp
$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf # Read and parsed by systemd-localed. It's probably wise not to edit this file
# manually too freely.
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option "XkbVariant" "extd"
        Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
EndSection

Edit:
Correct option ordering thanks berbae for spotting it

Last edited by loqs (2014-08-14 09:41:37)

berbae

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-02-12

Posts: 1,304

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

This is not good:
'gb' is the layout,
'pc105' the model.
So the command should be:

localectl set-x11-keymap gb pc105 extd terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp

The parameters order is important.

But the question is when and how do you run this command?

The generated '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf' file will only be read at the start of the Xorg server.
So if you run the command after the Xorg server is started, it will not be used.

It is not clear to me how to use the 'localectl' command; that is why I suggest that you use a manually created '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf' with the same content; then it is sure that file will be used when Xorg starts.

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 19,113

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

berbae thank you for the correction.
I do not understand your concern about when localectl should be run as it generates /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf so it just needs to be run once then restart X the same as the manual stanza.

buntolo

Member

Registered: 2011-10-11

Posts: 202

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

I'll try the 10-keyboard.conf, I was uncertain and prone to use localectl. To me it seems the wiki suggests using localectl over manual .conf.

buntolo

Member

Registered: 2011-10-11

Posts: 202

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

Can't say if it's working or not:

$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=it_IT.UTF-8
                  LC_COLLATE=C
       VC Keymap: uk
      X11 Layout: gb
       X11 Model: pc105
     X11 Options: terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf 
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option "XkbVariant" "extd"
        Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
EndSection

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf 
# Read and parsed by systemd-localed. It's probably wise not to edit this file
# manually too freely.
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
EndSection

berbae

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-02-12

Posts: 1,304

Re: Problem setting UK extended keyboard layout

The situation is somewhat confused now; so to clarify it:
remove the '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf' file,
remove the '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf' file',
run as root the command 'localectl set-x11-keymap gb pc105 extd terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp',
verify the new '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf' file that the line with 'extd' is there,
logout/login as user,
start Xorg server again

See if your  missing keys work; if not, post the output of 'localectl status' and the entire Xorg log file.