Bug#410628: xkb-data: Need method (or documentation) to alter existing layouts
Package: xkb-data
Version: 0.9-4
Severity: normal
Previously, I was using XOrg backports (6.9.0.dfsg.1-6~bpo.4) on a sarge
system, and I had written my own variant of a US keyboard layout
appropriate for typing lots of german text. In this version, it was
possible to add new files in /etc/X11/xkb/symbols.
Now files in this directory seem to no longer be read (I'm not 100% sure
that I use the correct command):
(528)[10:00:22]frank@riesling:~$ ls /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/pc/
us_DE us_intl
(529)[10:01:10]frank@riesling:~$ strace -o xkb.trace2 setxkbmap \
-rules xfree86 -model pc104 -layout us_DE -variant intl \
-option "compose:caps"
Error loading new keyboard description
(530)[10:01:17]frank@riesling:~$
The trace shows that it does not at all access files in the symbols
directory, neither below /etc nor /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols. The
documentation in /usr/share/doc/xkb-data/README.config.gz also hints
(although unclear IMHO) that using xkb files is obsolete (though still
supported).
Well, it also says that the new method is supposed to be far more
flexible and intuitive, but I do not agree, at least not without any
hint how to switch single keys. In particular (just to illustrate), I
want the following changes from the standard intl variant of the us
layout:
- make ~, " and ' not deadkeys
- move ü from y+Mod3 (AltGr) to u+Mod3, similar for ö, and ä
- Provide § also on p+Mod3 (it's called "Paragraph" in german)
TIA, Frank
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 4.0
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing'), (99, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.18-3-686
Locale: LANG=de_DE@euro, LC_CTYPE=de_DE@euro (charmap=ISO-8859-15)
-- no debconf information
--
Dr. Frank Küster
Single Molecule Spectroscopy, Protein Folding @ Inst. f. Biochemie, Univ. Zürich
Debian Developer (teTeX/TeXLive)
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