X Strike Force XFree86 SVN commit: r1908 - in trunk/debian: . local
Author: branden
Date: 2004-10-04 01:23:56 -0500 (Mon, 04 Oct 2004)
New Revision: 1908
Modified:
trunk/debian/CHANGESETS
trunk/debian/changelog
trunk/debian/local/FAQ.xhtml
Log:
Add FAQ entry: Why does composing characters work in some applications but
not others?
Modified: trunk/debian/CHANGESETS
===================================================================
--- trunk/debian/CHANGESETS 2004-10-02 12:17:20 UTC (rev 1907)
+++ trunk/debian/CHANGESETS 2004-10-04 06:23:56 UTC (rev 1908)
@@ -16,4 +16,8 @@
files so that this keymap gets shipped. (Closes: #271326, #274513)
1906, 1907
+Add FAQ entry: Why does composing characters work in some applications but
+not others?
+ 1908
+
vim:set ai et sts=4 sw=4 tw=80:
Modified: trunk/debian/changelog
===================================================================
--- trunk/debian/changelog 2004-10-02 12:17:20 UTC (rev 1907)
+++ trunk/debian/changelog 2004-10-04 06:23:56 UTC (rev 1908)
@@ -5,12 +5,15 @@
* Update Danish debconf template translations (thanks, Claus Hindsgaul).
(Closes: #274101)
+ * Add FAQ entry: Why does composing characters work in some applications but
+ not others?
+
Changes by Denis Barbier:
* List /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/pc/us_intl into xlibs.install and MANIFEST
files so that this keymap gets shipped. (Closes: #271326, #274513)
- -- Branden Robinson <branden@debian.org> Wed, 29 Sep 2004 16:38:36 -0500
+ -- Branden Robinson <branden@debian.org> Mon, 4 Oct 2004 01:22:37 -0500
xfree86 (4.3.0.dfsg.1-8) unstable; urgency=high
Modified: trunk/debian/local/FAQ.xhtml
===================================================================
--- trunk/debian/local/FAQ.xhtml 2004-10-02 12:17:20 UTC (rev 1907)
+++ trunk/debian/local/FAQ.xhtml 2004-10-04 06:23:56 UTC (rev 1908)
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@
work on my ATI Radeon card. Can you help?</a></li>
<li><a href="#xkbnewlayout">My keyboard configuration worked with XFree86 4.2;
why is it messed up now?</a></li>
+<li><a href="#composeinput">Why does composing characters work in some
+ applications but not others?<a></li>
</ul>
<h2><a href="#acknowledgements">Acknowledgements</a></h2>
@@ -2897,12 +2899,66 @@
XKB options; for example, <kbd>Option "XkbOptions" "altwin:super_win"</kbd>
binds your logo keys to <code>Super</code> modifiers.</p>
+<h3><a id="composeinput">Why does composing characters work in some applications
+ but not others?<a></h3>
+
+<p><em>Thanks to Jeff Licquia for contributing much of this entry.</em></p>
+
+<p>People sometimes find that they can use their <code>Compose</code> key as
+expected in some applications -- for instance, <code
+class="command">uxterm</code>, <code class="command">xterm</code>, and
+OpenOffice.Org Writer -- but not in others, such as Mozilla, Galeon, or <code
+class="command">gnome-terminal</code>.</p>
+
+<p>The difference is that the latter group of applications use the GTK+ input
+method framework, and the former group does not.</p>
+
+<p>GTK+ has its own input method framework that is separate from the X input
+methods. This is necessary because GTK+ is supposed to be independent of
+X.</p>
+
+<p>The default input method is, of course, Latin. When implementing this
+method, the GTK+ people focused on ISO 8859-1, and did not implement many of
+the other Latin character sets. This is why GTK+-based programs seem not to be
+able to type characters that other pure X programs can.</p>
+
+<p>There are several things you can do about the problem. All of them involve
+using a different GTK+ input method. You can test these by opening some GTK+
+app that takes input, such as gedit. Right-click on the edit box, and there
+should be a submenu for "Input Methods". The new input method should show up
+in that submenu.</p>
+
+<ul>
+ <li><p>Get a better GTK+ input method. The <a
+ href="http://gtk-im-extra.sourceforge.net/";><code
+ class="other">gtk-im-extra</code> Sourceforge project</a> contains a Latin
+ Plus input method, for example. While you're at it, you might also lobby the
+ GTK+ people to include <code class="other">gtk-im-extra</code>, and make Latin
+ Plus the default.</p></li>
+ <li><p>There are alternative input method projects out there that provide GTK+
+ IM shims; look for the packages <code class="package">iiimgcf</code>, <code
+ class="package">scim-gtk2-immodule</code>, and <code
+ class="package">uim-gtk2.0</code> in Debian testing or unstable. Most of
+ these, though, are aimed at non-Latin issues, so whether they're appropriate
+ for you depends on your needs.</li></p>
+ <li><p>GTK+ ships with a XIM shim module. This is the solution many Debian
+ developers use.</p></li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>If you want to make a certain input method the default system-wide, edit
+<code class="filespec">/etc/environment</code>, and set the environment variable
+<code class="other">GTK_IM_MODULE</code> there to the input method module you
+want (Use <kbd>xim</kbd> for the XIM shim). Of course, you can do the same
+thing for just yourself by setting that environment variable in <code
+class="filespec">.profile</code>, <code class="filespec">.bashrc</code>, or
+whatever your shell uses as an initialization file.</p>
+
<h2><a id="acknowledgements">Acknowledgements</a></h2>
<p>The author would like to thank Andreas Metzler, Guillem Jover, Ingo Saitz,
Osamu Aoki, Matthew Arnison, Colin Walters, Steve Swales, Adam Jackson, Thomas
-Dickey, Paul Gotch, Albert Cahalan, Denis Barbier, and "ulisses" for their
-contributions to this document.</p>
+Dickey, Paul Gotch, Albert Cahalan, Denis Barbier, Jeff Licquia, and "ulisses"
+for their contributions to this document.</p>
<hr />
<p class="x-small">$Id$</p>
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