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Thread: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

  1. #1
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    lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    I'm using lubuntu 10.04 beta 2. I've read wikis on xkb and various other topics related to switching keyboard layouts without the use of a dedicated applet (as lxde doesn't seem to yet have one) and really cannot figure out how to set up keyboard layout switching.

    I want to be able to switch keyboard layouts between English and German while holding down the CAPSLOCK key -- in other words, just for typing German characters such as ö, ä, ü, and ß. I don't want to switch completely to the German keyboard.

    The solution I'm using right now works and is somewhat inelegant: I installed xfce4-panel and xfce4-xkb-plugin, started xfce4-panel, added the keyboard layouts plugin, then removed everything BUT the keyboard layout plugin, set it to "normal width" and "auto-hide." So it just hangs out on the very margin of my screen and lets me switch keyboard layouts like I want to do.

    Is there an easier way to do this natively without using the xfce4 panel? Granted, it's not like a little xfce4 applet takes up a lot of memory.

  2. #2
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    I've used lxde last summer, not Lubuntu though, and the following worked for switching layouts.
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1039107

    It's not quite what you want, but a short in the right direction.

  3. #3
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    Quote Originally Posted by mikewhatever View Post
    I've used lxde last summer, not Lubuntu though, and the following worked for switching layouts.
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1039107

    It's not quite what you want, but a short in the right direction.
    Thanks... I'd seen that one, couldn't really figure out how to get there from here, if you know what I mean. I ended up just doing a minimal netboot install and installed a "minimal-enough" XFCE desktop for my purposes.

  4. #4
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    Quote Originally Posted by michael.conner View Post
    Thanks... I'd seen that one, couldn't really figure out how to get there from here, if you know what I mean. I ended up just doing a minimal netboot install and installed a "minimal-enough" XFCE desktop for my purposes.
    Should have PM`ed me for clarifications, anyway, hope you're enjoying xfce minimal.
    I've been testing Lubuntu-10.04 in a Virtual Box today, and there is still no straightforward way to switch keyboard layouts. Apparently, after issuing the following command switching English and Hebrew layouts worked:

    Code:
    setxkbmap -option grp:ctrl_shift_toggle "us,il"
    Just some notes:
    I used Ctrl_Shift and not Alt_Shift, because the latter was set too, and switched keyboard layouts on the host machine.
    The layout setting survived several virtual machine restarts.
    Found another way, but it didn't work.
    Last edited by mikewhatever; May 26th, 2012 at 03:17 PM.

  5. #5
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    Quote Originally Posted by mikewhatever View Post
    Should have PM`ed me for clarifications, anyway, hope you're enjoying xfce minimal.
    I've been testing Lubuntu-10.04 in a Virtual Box today, and there is still no straightforward way to switch keyboard layouts. Apparently, after issuing the following command switching English and Hebrew layouts worked:

    Code:
    setxkbmap -option grp:ctrl_shift_toggle us,il
    Just some notes:
    I used Ctrl_Shift and not Alt_Shift, because the latter was set to, and switched keyboard layouts on the host machine.
    The layout setting survived several virtual machine restarts.
    Found another way, but it didn't work.
    but this dont work after system restarting... Maybe is better way?

  6. #6
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    You can make that into a script that runs as a startup application. It is a bit more involved in LXDE than say Gnome, but it can be done. Try finding documentation about startup applications under LXDE.

  7. #7
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    I use a really cool utility called Auto Key to paste in phrases I often use, like my email address or home address.
    The problem is that Auto Key doesn't recognize when I switch keyboard layouts using the panel applet. This results in the ä in my address, for example, being dropped.

    I need to use setxkbmap

    I can type setxkbmap us or setxkbmap se in a terminal window to change the layouts, but I'd realy like to have a hot key or launcher to do this. How can I set up a hot key or launcher to run the setxkbmap command?

    I know it involves a Bash file, but I'm lost as to the specifics.
    I'm running Gnome in Ubuntu 10.10

    I also noticed that if I just use setxkbmp us all the characters above the number keys (! @ etc) stop working. Any ideas on what I need to change so that these work?



    I'd appreciate any help.
    Thank you,
    GG -----------

  8. #8
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    To add a keyboard layout using LXDE (change "jp" for your default, and "ch(fr)" for your second layout):

    Code:
    setxkbmap -layout "jp,ch(fr)" -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
    Copy the command at the end of your /home/user/.bashrc file. The file is hidden by default. (see sample below)

    Code:
    # .bashrc
    
    # Source global definitions
    if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
        . /etc/bashrc
    fi
    
    # User specific aliases and functions
    
    setxkbmap -layout "jp,ch(fr)" -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
    Log-out/in.

  9. #9
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    Thanks Nomnex, it works fine.

    The method extends to more than two languages:

    Code:
    setxkbmap -layout "dk,is,fr" -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
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  10. #10
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    Re: lubuntu/lxde keyboard layout switching?

    open file /etc/default/keyboard and add necessary options:

    Code:
    XKBMODEL="pc105"
    XKBLAYOUT="us,ua,ru"
    XKBVARIANT=","
    XKBOPTIONS="grp:ctrl_shift_toggle,grp_led:scroll"
    than restart X session

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