How to change between three kyboard layouts with keys?

shams · 01-20-2021, 06:38 AM

I am writing some article and use three keyboard layouts English, pashto and persian and i use the gedit in arch linux, i want to use key combinations to switch between these three layouts for speed of work, after search i come to use setxkbmap for this purpose, when i run the command:

Code:

sudo setxkbmap -layout af

it cannot change the keyboard layout for the gedit and libreoffice writer and can change for firefox, arch Text Editor and brackets.
How to change the layout for all applications?

shruggy · 01-20-2021, 07:29 AM

localectl, perhaps? See Xorg/Keyboard configuration in ArchWiki.

shams · 01-20-2021, 08:18 AM

I read the article and first run this command:

Code:

setxkbmap -layout us,af,ir -option grp:alt_shift_toggle

The command create the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf:

Code:

# instruct systemd-localed to update it.
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us,af,ir"
        Option "XkbModel" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
EndSection

But cannot change the keyboard layout to any of them with the alt+shift, then use this command:

Code:

sudo localectl --no-convert set-x11-keymap us,af,ir grp:alt_shift_toggle

Also did not work.

lvm_ · 01-20-2021, 11:07 AM

Never had to use multiple keyboard layouts without a GUI and so don't know how to set it up via command line, but it definitely can be done via GUI setup e.g. in KDE open settings, go to hadrware-input devices-keyboard-layouts, click on 'shortcut' beside each of the layouts and pick one.

DavidMcCann · 01-20-2021, 11:14 AM

Why do you want to use the command line when you have a GUI? You can have a button on the panel for selecting the layout and indicating the current one; some desktops create that automatically if you set up your keyboards with their configuration tool. That tool will also allow you to nominate a group-shift key to toggle drivers — I use Scroll Lock. You can also decide what switching keyboards does — global change, change in the current application, or change in the currently active screen. I too have three drivers, but I leave it to Xfce to do the donkey work — that's what GUIs are for.