iBook G4 (ppc), finnish keyboard, brackets?
Roland Wegmann
rowe_gnu at gmx.net
Sat Nov 13 18:09:53 UTC 2004
Am Samstag, den 13.11.2004, 06:45 +0000 schrieb Jari Oksanen:
> Martin Pitt <martin.pitt <at> canonical.com> writes:
>
> >>
> > This is currently discussed on ubuntu-devel and on bug
> > https://bugzilla.ubuntulinux.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2327
> >
> > On
> >
> > http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
> >
> > you find an easy solution which maps the Apple key as an AltGr
> > emulation.
> >
> >
> Thanks for the prompt answer.
>
> This really works. Now the keyboard mapping is similar as in my i368/Linux
> desktop. It is different from MacOS X in this very same iBook, but you can't get
> all (or can you?).
you can! but you have to modify the file you choose in XF86Config-4. I
am the owener of a alu powerbook with a swiss german keyboard. my
'keyboard' settings in XF86Config-4 are
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "de_CH"
EndSection
that means I use the 'symbol' file de_CH (/etc/X11/xkb/symbols) and
modify it. so that I have a swiss german keyboard 'similar' to that one
I was accustomed to under MacOSX. I have to say clearly I am not an
X11-keyboard-expert!! but I suppose the options XkbModel and XkbLayout
are used in the file /etc/X11/xkb/rules/xfree86 (option XkbRules) to
determine which componets defines your keyboard settings. on the basis
of this file I found out (exactly I think I found out) that the
file /etc/X11/xkb/keycodes/xfree86 shows the connection between the
keycodes the tool 'xev' gave me and the abbreviations you can find in
the file
/etc/X11/xkb/keycodes/xfree86, see example below
xkb_keycodes "basic" {
minimum= 8;
maximum= 255;
<TLDE> = 49;
<AE01> = 10;
<AE02> = 11;
<AE03> = 12;
<AE04> = 13;
and in the file /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/de_CH, see example below
// Describes the differences between a very simple US/ASCII
// keyboard and a very simple Swiss keyboard
// Alphanumeric section
name[Group1]= "Swiss German";
key <TLDE> { [ section, degree ] };
key <AE01> { [ 1, plus ] };
key <AE02> { [ 2, quotedbl ] };
key <AE03> { [ 3, asterisk ],
Finaly, I had to find out the name of the symbols (example: 'plus'
stands for +; 'section' stands for ยง). The file /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/us
and the manpages of xmodmap and keymaps (and some Internet research)
help me to understand the 'system' of the file 'de_CH'. so I added to
the file 'de_CH' for example the line
key <AC05> { [ g, G ],
[ at ] };
in order to set the symbol @ (at) to the key 'g' (or <AC05> or
xev-keycode 42). In addition I had to add the line
key <LALT> { [ Mode_switch, Multi_key ] };
in order to activate the 'alt' key. Further you have to know the system
of files like 'de_CH' (compare with the example above):
key <AC05> { [ g, G ],[ at ] };
if you press key <AC05> the display shows a 'g'
if you press key shift+<AC05> the display shows a 'G'
if you press key alt+<AC05> the display shows a '@'
you can activate level four if you modify the <AC05> entry like that
key <AC05> { [ g, G ],[ at, xxx ] };
but then you have activate a further modification key in order to show
the symbol 'xxx' on the display (I did not know one can do that;for me
three levels are enough).
but you know: !!! I am not an x11-keyboard-expert !!! probaply I was
simply in luck
cheers, Roland
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