Re: accented characters in text console

[Chris Davies <chris-usenet@roaima.co.uk>]

hvw59601 <hvw59601@care2.com> wrote:
> I want to enter accented characters in a text console (not in X!)

> The keyboard is a US keyboard.
> At the moment /etc/default/keyboard shows:
> XKBMODEL="pc105"
> XKBLAYOUT="us"
> XKBVARIANT="intl"
> #XKBVARIANT=""
> XKBOPTIONS="lv3:ralt_switch,compose:rctrl,terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"

> Hitting the ' key just produces the ' character.
> Compose key + ' produces a beep.
> Cntrl + . then ' and any other character produces a ÿ.
> /etc/locale.gen is set to en_US.ISO-8859-15 ISO-8859-15.

This probably doesn't help much but here is my comparable configuration,
which does work when I try things like, for example, Compose ' i (three
separate key presses; Compose is *not* like Shift or Control).

grep '^[^#]' /etc/locale.gen
en_GB.UTF-8 UTF-8

grep '^[^#]' /etc/default/keyboard 
XKBMODEL="pc105"
XKBLAYOUT="gb"
XKBVARIANT=""
XKBOPTIONS="compose:ralt,terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"

Running dgpk-reconfigure keyboard-configuration, I chose these settings:

    Model: Generic 105-key (Intl) PC
    Layout: United Kingdom
    AltGr: The default for the keyboard layout
    Compose: Right Alt (AltGr)
    Control+Alt+Backspace to terminate: Yes

Notice that even though I chose the 105 key (Intl) keyboard, I do not
have an XKBVARIANT even though Compose is enabled and works. Mind you,
I've never really understood what the XKBVARIANT=intl is intended to
do for US and UK keyboards, as I use a Compose key to get my non-UK
characters.

Chris