Keyboard layout switching in modern Ubuntus

[Nrbrtx]

Thank you for replies Ralf, Gunnar, Oliver, Dmitry, Alberto!


>On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Dmitry Shachnev <mitya57 at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>You may want to upgrade further to 16.04 or 17.04 (if this is not a typo).
I upgraded my 12.04 to 16.04, not 14.04. It was a typo. I'm sorry.

>On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Dmitry Shachnev <mitya57 at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>A better mailing list for questions related to GNOME Flashback sessions
would
>be gnome-flashback-list at gnome.org. But in this case I will help you here
too.
GNOME community seems to be unfriendly.

>On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Dmitry Shachnev <mitya57 at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>It is possible. I have just tested the Ubuntu 16.04.2 live image and
setting
the “Switch to next source” to “Alt+Shift L” in unity-control-center works
for me.
It works in Unity session, but not in GNOME FlashBack. Shortcut is set, but
not usable.
Even with modifier only shortcut.
It seems that unity-control-center was called from indicator-keyboard (did
right click on it, then Text Entry Settings...)

>On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Dmitry Shachnev <mitya57 at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>It should be already fixed. Please test if it occurs in Ubuntu 17.04.
I prefer to use LTS versions of Ubuntu.

>On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Dmitry Shachnev <mitya57 at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>From testing the same Ubuntu 16.04.2 live image: if I type “apt-get install
>gnome-session-flashback”, nothing pulls in gnome-control-center.
I tried from mini.iso. It seems that indicator-bluetooth requires
unity-control-center.
I just tried to install gnome-session-flashback on Ubuntu MATE 16.04.
It has both unity-control-center and gnome-control-center. I'm able to set
<Alt+Shift>, but it does not work.

>On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Dmitry Shachnev <mitya57 at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>I think it will receive only critical fixes, like Unity itself. Do not
expect
>any new features there.
OK, I understood.


Below is my opinion on current problems of keyboard layout switching. I say
about GNOME FlashBack sessions, not Unity.

I sincerely don't understand what you in Ubuntu (or GNOME - I don't know
precisely) have done with layout switching.
In previous 12.04 LTS version it works normally in all desktop
environments. Why?
It is possible that there were no unity-control-center fork and
indicator-keyboard was not invented.
By the way in MATE desktop environment it works (even in modern 1.12 and
1.16).

Many of us use two keyboard layouts in Windows.
Which keyboard shortcut is used here for switching layouts?
In XP it was <Ctrl+Shift> or <Alt+Shift>. Some users prefer both right
<Shift> and left <Shift>.
In Windows 7 and 8.1 it is still possible to use these shortcuts.

I understand that many developers adore Apple products and take good and
bad ideas from them.
In my opinion <Super+Space> is not good keyboard shortcut for layout
switching when working with long bilingual texts.
But why conventional layout switching is broken?
And what is interesting, ubiquity installer sets <Alt+Shift>
(XKBOPTIONS="grp:alt_shift_toggle,grp_led:scroll" in /etc/default/keyboard,
see bug 1270574 <https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1270574>).
Why it is done so? It's strange. In installer <Alt+Shift> was set, but GUI
sessions use <Super+Space>. What is the reason for such a mess?

Do you remember hottest bug 1218322
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1218322> (1010 are affected)?
Problems are not solved after 4 years. Is it normal?

My colleagues use <Ctrl+Shift>, but this shortcut can't be used because of
interference with other shortcuts started with <Ctrl+Shift+> (for example,
<Ctrl+Shift+T>) - see bug 1245473 <https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1245473>.
In Unity this combination may be used but it creates visual problems for
user (for example, selected text is blinking
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1687588> while using <Ctrl+Shift+arrow>).


I sincerely ask you to pay attention to keyboard layout switching problems.


With best regards,
Norbert.
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