Keyboard (Kxkb) woes

[Nigel Henry]

On Sunday 26 October 2008 13:10, Amichai Rotman wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I am really lost. I am trying to fix this problem for a long while...
>
> After enabling an aditional keyboard mapping (language) to Kxkb I cannot
> use the right Alt+Shift key combination, or any other, for that matter - no
> matter what i do.
>
> I tried so many options under the 'Switching Options' and 'Xkb Options'
> tabs, I just don't remember what exactly I did or did not do...
>
> Can someone point me to a step-by-step guide (AKA - HOWTO) on how to do
> this right?
>
> All I want is to have two languages and use the said key combination to
> switch between them - from my keyboard. The only way I can switch between
> them now is by clicking the current language flag on the systray icon.
>
> I'd appreciate a pointer to the relevant file and what to chang there. I
> want the change to be Global - not user specific.
>
> Thanks!
> .:====================================================:.
>
> Amichai Rotman

Hello Amichai.

The default for changing the keyboard layout is Ctrl+Alt+K (that's the left 
ctrl, and alt).  Which 2 keyboard layouts are you using?

Alt Gr (right alt) is normally used for accessing layer3 alternative 
characters, and Alt Gr+Shift, for accessing layer4 alternative characters. 
I'm not sure if you can asign that key combination to change the keyboard 
layout, as it's already asigned for another use.

I've never had much success with Xkb Options, except for adding the euro sign 
to certain keys. I've just added the canadian keyboard layout on Kubuntu HH, 
so now have the us, and ca layouts. I now check the "Add the EuroSign to the 
E key" in Xkb options.

I'm trying these keystrokes out in Kate, so using the ca keyboard layout, I 
press Alt Gr+E, and get the euro sign printed. I now change to the us 
keyboard layout, and again press Alt Gr+E, and no euro sign, but instead 
Kate's "Edit" menu opens. It appears that the euro sign doesn't exist on the 
us keyboard layout, which is confirmed when I change the key for the euro 
sign from "E" to "4" in Xkb Options. Alt Gr+4 with the ca layout prints the 
euro sign, but the same with the us keyboard layout prints nothing.

I'm not a keyboard layout guru, but I think you are going to have problems 
trying to use Alt Gr+Shift to change keyboard layouts, and it may be better 
to use the default Ctrl+Alt+K to change layouts.

Nigel.