switch keyboard layout

[Thomas Blasejewicz]

Good evening
(running xubuntu 14.04)
After I managed to make the Software-Center work (for which I had to
reinstall the whole thing!),

I now have trouble with switching the KB layout (again).

I did setup (1) Japanese KB + (2) German (querty) KB
switching is set to "Alt+shift".
If I set it, it works ONCE.
But as soon as I touch the KB icon or switch between Japanese
"alphanumeric" input and "character" input,
the switching fails and the German KB indicator disappears.

If I set the switching anew to "Alt+shift", or anything else, if will
work (again) once - as long as I do not touch the KB icon.

This is really idiotic and I have spend already many hours is trying to
fix it.
Is there no way to make Linux remember that shortcut???
On a Mouse computer with exactly the same system installed, it "somehow"
works.
(having "only" the glitch, that the icon indicating alphanumeric/Jap.
character input does never change, even though the input method changes)

Thank you.