Enhancement: Make "Keyboard settings" (keyboard layout) easier accessible

[notebook]

Hello,

> In theory Ubuntu developers could change it for Ubuntu only, but you
> better report your concern against upstream.
What is more upstream than Ubuntu? Afaik Debian, but as of my understanding they are not concerned about UI questions, as they don't have a "default" one(?)


Regards
DarkTrick




On 2019/12/07 12:32, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> selecting the wanted keyboard layout is tricky.
> 
> A single user machine vs a multi-user system where each user might use a
> different language and/or keyboard.
> 
> There are different levels on how to set up the wanted keyboard layout,
> let alone that some apps are more or less smart.
> 
> An example, even on a single user machine using X, where setting up the
> keyboard layout could be done for quasi everything by the xorg.conf,
> some apps, such as e.g. some calculators tend to fail.
> 
> Imagine a German keyboard by preferring English for the menus of
> the user session.
> 
> Some calculators are smart, they "translate" the German "," of the
> numeric keypad, to the English ".", other don't.
> 
> To cut a long story short, different desktop environments provide
> different keyboard layout related GUI dialogs. Some of them follow your
> logic, other don't. In then end all of them just steer kind of a middle
> course.
> 
> There is no smart way to please everybody.
> 
> Indeed, "Region & Language" does not suggest "keyboard settings", OTOH
> in practise a keyboard layout is related to region and language
> settings.
> 
> Regards,
> Ralf
> PS:
> 
> In theory Ubuntu developers could change it for Ubuntu only, but you
> better report your concern against upstream. Keep in mind that
> portability might be important, too. A user might migrate from one Linux
> distro to another, or even might migrate from Linux to FreeBSD, or vice
> versa.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not an Ubuntu{,flavour} developer, I'm just another
> user.


> 
> Dear Developer Group:
> 
> In the following I'd like to suggest a change in the display of "keyboard layout settings". This suggestion aims at an easier user interface regarding keyboard layout settings.
> 
> Current Situation:
> ===================
> (1) Keyboard layout can be set in "Region & Language". The wording "Region & Language" does not suggest "keyboard settings".
> (2) Typing "Keyboard" in "Show Applications":
> (2.1) gives "Input Method" as first and only big result. The real keyboard settings are within the smaller printed results below.
> (2.2) The icon of "Input Method" is a keyboard. It suggests, that keyboard settings (including layout) can be made here.
> (2.3) The naming of "Input Method" is "Input Method". The user might expect this to contain keyboard layout settings.
> (2.4) Opening "Input Method" results in a row of dialogs only a technical user can understand.
> 
> 
> Suggestion:
> ===========
> (3) Typing "Keyboard" brings up "keyboard settings" as first (defaultly selected) item.
> That item could be a link to "Region & Language", where the keyboard setting is done.
> 
> (4) (Maybe) Rename "Input Method" to something like "Input System"
> (5) (Maybe) Change the icon of "Input Method": Add (e.g.) a gear to the icon. Something, that makes it look more technical/advance. The current keyboard icon suggests, that keyboard settings can be made here.
> (6) (Maybe) Extract keyboard (layout) settings:
> In Settings, create a new Item "Keyboard" and place it above "Region & Language".
> 
> 
> Appendix A: Scenario with current implementation
> ==================================================
> The following is a scenario that happend. To make it easier to understand I'll write it in the first person ("I") form.
> 
> I have a fresh Ubuntu 19.10 installation. Unfortunately the keyboard layout is wrong. I'd like to adjust it. This is what I do.
> 
> (1) Click "Show Applications"
> (2) Type in "keyboard"
> (3) "Input Method" appears on the screen.
> (4) I hit enter.
> (5) A dialog appears with a lot of text. Strange stuff I don't understand.
> (6) I click "OK". (hoping it will bring me to the keyboard settings)
> (7) A new dialog shows me "it is recommended to click 'NO'"
> (8) I click "No" (If it recommends so, I think I should follow)
> (9) Again a dialog with a bunch of text I didn't ask for is shown. The text is  very confusing
> (10) I click OK again.
> (11) A new dialog shows me "it is recommended to click 'NO'" (again)
> (12) I click "No"
> (13) Again the dialog with a lot of confusing words.
> (14) I'm very confused and click "Cancel".
> (15) The dialog closes. No new dialogs appear.
> (16) The keyboard layout is still the same (wrong) one.
> (17) I don't know what to do and ask for help.
> 
> 
> Regards
> DarkTrick