Re: Configuring a US keyboard with umlauts in sid (hal etc?)

[Howard Eisenberger <howarde@gmx.net>]

On 2009-11-23, Frank Küster wrote:

> I have a Thinkpad T43p which has a quite complete keyboard, and it comes
> with US layout. Which I like.  However, I'd also like to be able to
> easily input german Umlauts.  I don't like the compose approach, it
> needs too much keypressing for fast typing. Instead I want to use the
> AltGr key to turn AltGr+a to ä, AltGr+A to Ä and so forth.
>
> In lenny this worked fine.  Now I have upgraded to unstable, and it
> stopped working. I'm writing here to get some help.

> in xorg.conf, I used this definition for my keyboard:
>
> Section "InputDevice"
>  Option  "XkbOptions" "compose:caps,lv3:ralt_switch_multikey,eurosign:e"
> EndSection
>
> Any hints how I should proceed?

You might want to have a look at the setxkbmap command.

I do use compose and previously had this line in the "Input Device"
Section in my old xorg.conf

      Option  "XkbOptions"  "compose:menu"

My current xorg.conf doesn't have an "Input Device" Section at all
and I have this line in the startup script for my x-session-manager
(openbox-session)

setxkbmap -model evdev -option compose:menu

I suppose it depends on how you start X as to where you would put
this. Someone else may be able to help with that. As far as I know,
you can run setxkbmap in an x-terminal to test it.

Regards,

Howard E.
Ottawa