[SOLVED] CUSTOM KEYBOARD LAYOUT Creation - keymap (character mapping) and accented characters APP

Timmi · 05-03-2018, 07:15 PM

Is there an APP for creating a custom keyboard layout? (the easy way)
ANSWER: YES! Thank you to AwesomeMachine, it's XKeyCaps

I really do prefer a program, rather than the programmer's approach.

After extensive research, I have come up with a great new keyboard layout. There is nothing similar out there now. In addition to remapping letters, I'll also need to be able to map the accents for the languages most in use today (English, French, Germanic languages, Spanish)

I would like to find a Linux app, that is similar to these 2 which are for Windoze:
MS Keyboard Creator 1.4 and SharpKeys from RandyRants)

I suppose if someone knew how to export/convert a Windows' Keyboard Layout to a file, and import that into Linux, that can work too (as the Sharpkeys is really easy to use) - or do it back and forth, should I create it under Linux first. But a user-friendly Linux app would really be ideal here, as I'm getting less and less technical as I age.

I presently use Debian-based Distros, but mainly Linux MINT. I may port it to Q4OS or Bodhi or AntiX or MX-17, which are other distros that am interested in and may use on my other laptops.

UPDATE: I have found this Online Keyboard Layout Editor but am still trying to figure it out.

Ztcoracat · 05-03-2018, 08:33 PM

I've never tried Keayboardlayouteditor. From what I found it works for some and not for others.

https://superuser.com/questions/1216...ersonal-script

https://askubuntu.com/questions/2280...rnational-keyb

-:::-This looks good.-:::-

Creating custom keyboard layouts for X11 using XKB
https://michal.kosmulski.org/computi...youts-xkb.html

Good Luck-

Timmi · 05-04-2018, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztcoracat

I've never tried Keayboardlayouteditor. From what I found it works for some and not for others.
https://superuser.com/questions/1216...ersonal-script
https://askubuntu.com/questions/2280...rnational-keyb
-:::-This looks good.-:::-
Creating custom keyboard layouts for X11 using XKB
https://michal.kosmulski.org/computi...youts-xkb.html
Good Luck-

Thanks. All the documentation (and what links from there) looks quite intimidating and daunting... exactly what I was trying to avoid, hence my post.

Although the KeyboardLayoutEditor holds promise. I'll check it out.
thanks for the tip.

Michael Uplawski · 05-04-2018, 04:03 AM

See also Attempting to create a custom keyboard layout.

Ztcoracat · 05-04-2018, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timmi

Thanks. All the documentation (and what links from there) looks quite intimidating and daunting... exactly what I was trying to avoid, hence my post.

Although the KeyboardLayoutEditor holds promise. I'll check it out.
thanks for the tip.

You're Welcome-

Hope it works for you.

Sometimes (if you have the time) a little reading makes intimidation and dauntingness vanish:-

AwesomeMachine · 05-05-2018, 01:40 AM

I found this: https://www.jwz.org/xkeycaps/

DavidMcCann · 05-05-2018, 12:13 PM

The reason that Windows has an app is that the keyboard driver is precompiled. In Linux, it's compiled from a collection of sources after you've logged in, so you can just alter the files. It's much better to do that, as you can see what you're doing; also, as the special tool will not have many users, you can't be sure how well debugged it is.

There's a command to see what you've got:

Code:

$ setxkbmap -print
xkb_keymap {
	xkb_keycodes  { include "evdev+aliases(qwerty)"	};
	xkb_types     { include "complete+caps(internal_nocancel)"	};
	xkb_compat    { include "complete+ledscroll(group_lock)"	};
	xkb_symbols   { include "pc+gb+gr:2+astro:3+inet(evdev)+group(shift_caps_toggle)+terminate(ctrl_alt_bksp)"	};
	xkb_geometry  { include "pc(pc105)"	};
};

The files that will concern you are those listed under "symbols", which live in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/

If you look at what I've got,
"pc" deals with things that you probably won't want to change, like Shift and F1
"inet" deals with fancy buttons, like Play/Pause
"group" shows the options for switching between different drivers

That leaves my three drivers: gb, gr, and astro. You've probably got ca or us. These are the things that need some rewriting. Typical lines in a driver are

Code:

key <AE10> {[ 0, bracketright, U00B0, U27E9 ]}; // degree, angle bracket
key <AE11> {[ dead_acute, dead_breve ]};

The keys are named by position, so <AE10> is the tenth key in the fifth (E) row up in the alphanumeric section. The values listed cover the basic key, the shifted version, the third level (AltGr), and the fourth level (Shift + AltGr). They can be indicated by the character (e.g. a), a character name (e.g. ampersand), or a code for exotica (e.g. U00B0).

Timmi · 05-06-2018, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

The reason that Windows has an app is that the keyboard driver is precompiled. In Linux, it's compiled from a collection of sources after you've logged in

So what you are saying, is that after I create a custom keyboard layout, change the keys around, and use a secure password, I will be locked out of my Linux OS, because it won't load the keyboard layout before I log in, thus blocking me from knowing what to type in order to log in?
That doesn't sound very good.

Timmi · 05-06-2018, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwesomeMachine

I found this: https://www.jwz.org/xkeycaps/

WOW! Just WOW!
Thanks!!!

AwesomeMachine · 05-06-2018, 05:14 PM

OK, no problem. Just glad if you get it working.