This page describes how to get a Swiss German keyboard layout under LinuxPPC 1999 (R5). It is almost an exact copy of Axel Rauschma's Page. I added some text and rewrote the whole thing for the Swiss German keyboard.
Any suggestions, comments etc. are highly appreciated at lkarrer@trash.net. If you find some errors, please mail me. (There are a few special characters which I did not know, but in general, it should be OK.)
The following sections describe how to get a SwissGerman keyboard layout for X-Windows. I assume that you have X up and running.
Step 1: Get key codes right.
| File: | /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb/symbols.dir |
| Explanation: | I got this as A hint. No idea for what it is good for. |
| Changes: | Add this text to the file:
-------- -------- macintosh/de(extended) |
Step 2: Fix keytable.
| File: | /usr/lib/X11/xkb/keycodes/macintosh |
| Explanation: | This file maps keyboard codes to Tokens. For instance it says that the key code 44 generates the Token RTRN: <RTRN> = 44; Since European Keyboards have 1 additional Key to the US keyboards, we need to add a |
| Changes: | Add this line to the file:
<COIN> = 18; # extra key on european keyboards |
Step 2: Fix key symbols.
| Directory: | /usr/lib/X11/xkb/symbols/macintosh |
| Explanation: | The File in this directory map X key labels to key symbols. It now only contains the US symbols (file us). For instance, says that the key labeled RTRN is to be interpreted as a Return. key <RTRN> { [ Return ] }; We need an additional File named after the IOS countrycode for the keyboard. Eg. if you want want a Swiss German Keyboard, you will have to write a file named de_CH which contains the mappings for the spedified Language. Something goes wrong, X will use its custom keytable. Chdir to the /usr/lib/X11/xkb/symbols/macintosh directory and do xkbcomp -xkm de_CH. The Keyboard compiler will point out all errors that occur in the file. |
| Changes: | Copy de_CH into this directory. |
Step 3: Get key mapping right.
| Directory: | /usr/lib/X11/xkb/keymap/ |
| Explanation: | Files in this directory define the whole keyboard mapping, referring to the other beforehand mentioned files. |
| Changes: | Edit the file, so that it looks as follows:
// $XConsortium: macintosh /main/11 1996/03/07 13:42:13 kaleb $
default xkb_keymap "macintosh" {
xkb_keycodes { include "macintosh" };
xkb_types { include "default" };
xkb_compatibility { include "default" };
xkb_symbols { include "macintosh/de_CH(extended)" };
xkb_geometry { include "macintosh" };
};
|
Step 4a.: Configure XFree.
| File: | /etc/X11/XF86Config |
| Explanation: | This is the file for configuring XFree. If you use Xpmac, use 4b. You can find out which XServer (Xfree or XPmac) you are using by looking at the symbolic link /etc/X11/X. This points either to ../../usr/X11R6/bin/Xpmac or ../../usr/X11R6/bin/X86FBdev. |
| Changes: | Find Section "Keyboard". In this section, there is a line for which you have to make sure that it is commented (if not, XFree uses the settings from the Console, but ignores anything that's not the key or the key plus shift.): # XkbDisable You'll have to append the following lines just before the end of the section. Uncomment any group of lines that looks similar to this one (one such group might come from Xautoconfig or Xconfigurator, another is probably commented and is meant to serve as an example): XkbKeymap "macintosh" XkbKeycodes "macintosh" XkbTypes "default" XkbCompat "default" XkbSymbols "de_CH(extended)" XkbGeometry "macintosh" |
Step 4b.: Configure XPmac.
| File: | /usr/X11/bin/startx |
| Explanation: | This is the script that starts X windows; the original needs to be modified to use the non-US configuration files. Do this only if you use Xpmac! Xfree86 uses /etc/X11/XF86Config => 4a Change the line that starts with "Xinit" to read: |
| Changes: |
|
^ ¨ ` (circumflex, diaeresis, grave accent) are dead keys. -> For Ü -> hit the ¨ key followed by a U
-middlekey [key], -rightkey [key]).
Try man for the following items: