Re: What does it mean 'LANG=C'

[Jan Willem Stumpel <jstumpel@planet.nl>]

Mumia W. wrote:
> Ron Johnson wrote:
> 
>>Thibaut Paumard wrote:
>>
>>><Multi_key> = e   gives €
>>><Multi_key> + -   gives ±
>>>...
>>
>>And the Multi_key is?
>>
> 
> 
> You define the Multi_key using xmodmap.

xmodmap is a bit outdated, and in fact "deprecated" now; see the
"Debian X Window System Frequently Asked Questions" at
http://necrotic.deadbeast.net/xsf/XFree86/trunk/debian/local/FAQ.xhtml#keyboard.

All sorts of tricks with the keyboard are possible using the "xkb
facilities". You can specify the Multi_key (alias the Compose key)
in xorg.conf, or through the command line (setxkbmap command).

For instance to input accents by means of dead keys, and to input
an enormous variety of "combined characters" by means of the
Compose key, on a US keyboard, for instance, you could use

 setxkbmap us -variant alt-intl -option compose:rwin

This makes rwin (the right Windows key) the Compose key (a.k.a.
Multi_key), and changes the keyboard to the "US international"
variant. You can enter all sorts of things like the Euro sign
(right-alt e which is the EU standard, but also right-alt 5,
Compose = e, etc.), Spanish upside-down question mark and
exclamation mark, left and right quotation marks, accents,
macrons, etc. etc.

There are many other possibilities. You can even define several
different keyboard layouts, and a key to switch between them. One
keystroke and you change your keyboard to Greek, Russian, Hebrew,
what have you.

See for instance http://www.jw-stumpel.nl/stestu#T6.

Regards, Jan