Create your own personal keyboard layout

[Ari_Lari]

Forum Question

Hey guys, I'm a new Ubuntu (version 10.10) user from Albania. Switched from W7 and I'm loving it so far. I only had one problem: creating a custom keyboard map for the Albanian language as the ones that usually come with the OS I don't like (they contain useless characters and everything is misplaced).

Following advice from a previous forum this is what I did:
sudo gedit /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/al (this is the default albanian language)(I backed it up just in case)

the file looked like this: (sorry if it's long)

// $XKeyboardConfig$

// based on
// albanian keyboard layout
// done by Pablo Saratxaga <pablo@mandrakesoft.com>
//
// $XFree86: xc/programs/xkbcomp/symbols/al,v 1.2 2002/11/22 04:03:28 dawes Exp $

partial default alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {
include "latin(type3)"
name[Group1]="Albania";

key <AE01> { [ 1, exclam, asciitilde, dead_tilde ] };
key <AE02> { [ 2, quotedbl, dead_caron, oneeighth ] };
key <AE03> { [ 3, numbersign, dead_circumflex, sterling ] };
key <AE04> { [ 4, dollar, dead_breve, dollar ] };
key <AE05> { [ 5, percent, dead_abovering, threeeighths] };
key <AE06> { [ 6, asciicircum, dead_ogonek, fiveeighths ] };
key <AE07> { [ 7, ampersand, grave, dead_grave ] };
key <AE08> { [ 8, asterisk, dead_abovedot, trademark ] };
key <AE09> { [ 9, parenleft, dead_acute, plusminus ] };
key <AE10> { [ 0, parenright, dead_doubleacute, degree ] };
key <AE11> { [ minus, underscore, dead_diaeresis, questiondown] };

key <AD03> { [ e, E, EuroSign, EuroSign ] };
key <AD11> { [ ccedilla, Ccedilla, division, dead_abovering ] };
key <AD12> { [ at, apostrophe, multiply, dead_macron ] };

key <AC02> { [ s, S, dstroke, section ] };
key <AC03> { [ d, D, Dstroke, ETH ] };
key <AC10> { [ediaeresis, Ediaeresis, dollar, dead_doubleacute ] };
key <AC11> { [bracketleft, braceleft, ssharp, dead_caron ] };
key <TLDE> { [ backslash, bar, notsign, notsign ] };

key <BKSL> { [bracketright, braceright, currency, dead_breve ] };
key <AB08> { [ comma, semicolon, less, multiply ] };
key <AB09> { [ period, colon, greater, division ] };
key <AB10> { [ slash, question, dead_belowdot, dead_abovedot ] };

include "level3(ralt_switch)"
};

So this was based on the latin(type 3) keyboard. I wanted to change it to use the USA layout so these are the changes I did and how the file looked afterwards:

//Albanian Layout
//For Ubuntu
partial default alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {

include "USA"
name[Group1]="Albania";

key <AD11> { [ ccedilla, Ccedilla, braceright ] };
key <AD12> { [ bracketright, bracketleft, braceleft ] };
key <AB10> { [ ediaeresis, question, Ediaeresis ] };
key <BKSL> { [ slash, backslash, bar ] };
include "level3(ralt_switch)"
};

To work it required a restart. upon restart the following error message came up:

Error activating XKB configuration.It can happen under various circumstances: • a bug in libxklavier library • a bug in X server (xkbcomp, xmodmap utilities) • X server with incompatible libxkbfile implementationX server version data:The X.Org Foundation10900000If you report this situation as a bug, please include: • The result of xprop -root | grep XKB • The result of gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd

I have tried reverting back to the original and it worked fine, but even with smaller changes to the file the error kept popping up. Please someone tell me what I am doing wrong?!?!

Thanks a lot for your help

[simosx]

...
I have tried reverting back to the original and it worked fine, but even with smaller changes to the file the error kept popping up. Please someone tell me what I am doing wrong?!?!

Thanks a lot for your help

The problem is what you put in 'include'. You wrote include "USA" which is wrong.

The files that you find in the /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/ directory are layouts, and 'al' is an example of a layout file. If you look inside the 'al' file, you notice that there is a single variant, 'basic'. If I were to use the 'basic' variant from the Albanian layout in my own layout file, I would have written "al(basic)". The first variant of a layout file is the default variant, therefore it would also be OK to write "al" (it's the same with "al(basic)".

Therefore, if you want to base the Albanian layout on the US layout, you write

include "us"


In addition, if you want to submit this layout so it becomes part of the Albanian layout file, you need to leave the "basic" layout as it is, and create a new one. Then, the Albanian layout file would have two variants and the users will be able to choose from the list. Finally, you submit the changes at the xkeyboard-config project, at http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Soft...KeyboardConfig

[ernsttremel]

Re: Creating a custom keyboard layout
In Microsoft's keyboard layout creator there one may
create keystrokes like
U+014b U+02b8, i.e. ŋʸ one keystroke delivers a composed glyph.

Is such a proceeding possible in Ubuntu, too?
for example
key <TILDE> { [ UE107, U014B U02B8 ] }; //  ŋʸ

[ernsttremel]

Hello

I tried to make myself an "AvestanTranscription" keyboard layout.
cf. "avestantranscription.txt"

I proceded like this:
cf. "wie_AvestanTranscription_keyboard_machen.odt"

But after having added the new keyboard layout I got this error message
cf. "fehlerkeyboard.txt"

Maybe you can tell me what is wrong in my method to make this keyboard layout?

Regards,

Ernst Tremel

[ernsttremel]

Meanwhile I experienced that my keyboard layout file "avestantranscription"


partial default alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "avestantranscription"
{
name[Group1] = "Germany - AvestanTranscription";

key <AB01> { [ U007A, U017E ] }; // z ž
key <AB02> { [ U0078, UE205 ] }; // x ?
key <AB03> { [ U0063, U010D ] }; // c c
key <AB04> { [ U0076, UE206 ] }; // v ?
key <AB05> { [ U0062, U0077 ] }; // b w
key <AB06> { [ U006E, U1E47 ] }; // n ?
key <AB07> { [ U006D, UE20B ] }; // m ?
key <AB08> { [ U2025, U3002 ] }; // ? ?
key <AB09> { [ U22C5, U2024 ] }; // · ·
key <AB10> { [ U2219, U002E ] }; // · .

key <AC01> { [ U0061, U0101 ] }; // a a
key <AC02> { [ U0073, U0161 ] }; // s š
key <AC03> { [ U0064, U03B4 ] }; // d d
key <AC04> { [ U0066, U03B3 ] }; // f ?
key <AC05> { [ U0067, U0121 ] }; // g g
key <AC06> { [ U0068, UE105 ] }; // h ?
key <AC07> { [ U006A, UE209 ] }; // j ?
key <AC08> { [ U006B, U0135 ] }; // k j
key <AC09> { [ U006C, UE221 ] }; // l ?
key <AC10> { [ U003B, U003A ] }; // ; :
key <AC11> { [ UE207, U1E6F ] }; // ? ?

key <AD01> { [ U014B, UE208 ] }; // ? ?
key <AD02> { [ UE20D, UE20C ] }; // ? ?
key <AD03> { [ U0065, U0113 ] }; // e e
key <AD04> { [ U0072, UE20A ] }; // r ?
key <AD05> { [ U0074, U03B8 ] }; // t ?
key <AD06> { [ U0079, U1E8F ] }; // y ?
key <AD07> { [ U0075, U016B ] }; // u u
key <AD08> { [ U0069, U012B ] }; // i i
key <AD09> { [ U006F, U014D ] }; // o o
key <AD10> { [ U0070, U01DD ] }; // p ?
key <AD11> { [ U0259, UE204 ] }; // ? ?
key <AD12> { [ U00E5, UE20E ] }; // å ?

key <TILDE> { [ UE107, UE225 ] }; // ? ??
key <AE01> { [ U0031, U015B ] }; // 1 s
key <AE02> { [ U0032, U1E63 ] }; // 2 ?
key <AE03> { [ U0033, UE108 ] }; // 3 ?
key <AE04> { [ U0034, U03D1 ] }; // 4 ?
key <AE05> { [ UE104, UE222 ] }; // ? ?
key <AE06> { [ UE220, UE223 ] }; // ? ?
key <AE07> { [ U03B2, UE224 ] }; // ß ?
key <AE08> { [ UE109, U00E3 ] }; // ? ã
key <AE09> { [ UE10A, UE10C ] }; // ? ?
key <AE10> { [ U0030, UE106 ] }; // 0 ?
key <AE11> { [ U03C5, UE10E ] }; // ? ?
key <AE12> { [ UE10B, UE10D ] }; // ? ?

key <BKSL> { [ U0105, UE203 ] }; // a ?
key <LSGT> { [ U0105, UE203 ] }; // a ?
};

caused this error message

Fehler beim Aktivieren der XKB-Konfiguration.
Dies kann unter folgenden Umständen passieren:
• ein Fehler in der Bibliothek libxklavier
• ein Fehler im X-Server (xkbcomp, xmodmap-Werkzeuge)
• X-Server mit inkompatibler Implementation von libxkbfile

Versionsdaten des X-Servers:
The X.Org Foundation
10900000

Falls Sie dies als Fehler melden, fügen Sie hinzu:
• das Ergebnis von xprop -root | grep XKB
• das Ergebnis von gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd

The intented keyboard layout should look like:
cf. AvestTranscr-normal
and
AvestTranscr-shift

What has to be corrected in my keyboard layout file "avestantranscription" to avoid this error?

[ernsttremel]

Finally I achieved to make a Keyboard Layout functioning in Ubuntu, too.

This was possible because of Simos Xenitellis keyboardlayouteditior

http://simos.info/blog/archives/747

https://github.com/simos/keyboardlayouteditor

This is quite a great ans very useful tool.
Thanks, Simos

[_BPS_]

Hi

i want to make my own keyboard layout, and have problem with that

1. I'm creating file /usr/share/X11/symbols/ti

// $XKeyboardConfig$
partial default alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {
    name[Group1] = "My Language name";
    key <AE01> {[a, 1]};
};

2. Im editing file /usr/share/X11/rules/xorg.lst and in section ! layout im adding line:

ti        MyLanguageName

3. Im editing file /usr/share/X11/rules/xorg.xml and adding:

<layout>
  <configItem>
    <name>ti</name>
    <shortDescription>MyLanguageName</shortDescription>
    <description>MuLanguageName</description>
  </configItem>
</layout>

4. Im restarting my computer

And now... why i cant select or see my new keyboard layout in GNOME (System -> Preferences -> Keyboard -> Layouts). My layout is not in list of available layouts?

How can i change keyboard layouts in terminal?

[inashdeen]

Hi I need to create an arabic based keyboard layout for my jawi writing (Traditional Malay-ms). It is similar to arabic but with extra characters and slightly different orientation. how do i actually add these character to usr/share/xkb/ara gedit since i can't seem to see any arabic character inside it.thanks in advance

[henriquemaia]

I have created a new keyboard layout (my flavour, full of useful unicode symbols I need) based on the symbols/pt file using simosx's Keyboard Layout Editor. I'm very pleased with the result.

The program interface is a bit awkward, but it gets the job done. I still had to edit the file by hand to add the

include "level3(ralt_switch)"

line.

I saved my new layout as pt-henrique (any name will do) and saved it on

/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/

.

I then had to edit /etc/default/keyboard and change the

XKBMODEL="pc105" 
XKBLAYOUT="pt" 
XKBVARIANT="" 
XKBOPTIONS=""

to

XKBMODEL="pc105" 
XKBLAYOUT="pt-henrique" 
XKBVARIANT="" 
XKBOPTIONS=""

After rebooting I had my new [artistic] layout running.

note: Thanks simosx

[henriquemaia]

Hi I need to create an arabic based keyboard layout for my jawi writing (Traditional Malay-ms). It is similar to arabic but with extra characters and slightly different orientation. how do i actually add these character to usr/share/xkb/ara gedit since i can't seem to see any arabic character inside it.thanks in advance

You have to check the characters codes for the characters you want in some kind of source. I suggest checking the here:

http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/search.htm

Then you have to add the codes to the file you're editing. Something akin to

key <AC05> { [ g, G, U2196, U2660 ] };
key <AC06> { [ h, H, U2197, heart ] };
key <AC07> { [ j, J, U2199, U2660 ] };

.

The Uxxxx entries are the correspondent unicode codes for the characters you want.

Good luck in creating your layout.