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View Full Version : Switching the Layout of the USB Keyboard.


yokos
02-19-2008, 08:42 AM
The USB Keyboard server (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=63656&postcount=16) comes with an US layout. If you have a non-US USB keyboard in front of your nose, you will have a problem.
Therefore we need a way to change the keymaps of the keyboard.
xmodmap (http://www.xfree86.org/4.2.0/xmodmap.1.html) is one way.

Right now only a German keymap is included. [EDIT II: not anymore true.]
A keymap is just a simple text file with keycodes on the left, the letter/symbol on the right.
keycode 10 = 1 exclam onesuperior exclamdown onesuperior exclamdown
keycode 11 = 2 quotedbl twosuperior oneeighth twosuperior oneeighth
keycode 12 = 3 section threesuperior sterling threesuperior sterling
keycode 13 = 4 dollar onequarter currency onequarter currency
keycode 14 = 5 percent onehalf threeeighths onehalf threeeighths
keycode 15 = 6 ampersand notsign fiveeighths notsign fiveeighths
keycode 16 = 7 slash braceleft seveneighths braceleft seveneighths

If you know a place where keymaps of other/"all" languages live, please let me know. [EDIT II: 85 xmodmaps are attached.]

The symbols files (keymaps) in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols on my Desktop Linux distribution where not compatible with xmodmap.
I created the attached German keymap [while a German layout is active] with xmodmap -pke > keymapxkeycaps (http://www.jwz.org/xkeycaps) is another option [not checked out yet].

[EDIT 02/20/2008] Oh no, xkeycaps needs xmkmf to compile. Uncharted water for me.
[EDIT 02/21/2008] 85 xmodmaps are attached. All the best! I hope it works for you.
you-have-to-do:
# w/o editing txt/shell scripts:
You have to rename the wanted xmodmap (for instance xmodmap.be) to de, then replace the original in the xmodmap dir.
#w/ editing txt/shell scripts:
Edit the red parts to your need.
manifest.xml:
<Description>Changing the USB Keyboard Layout
German Layout</Description>
run.sh
./xmodmap de > output.txt 2>&1
[EDIT 02/22/2008] I replaced 85_xmodmaps.zip with 95_xmodmaps.zip [the same 85 + 10 others]

screenshot: it shows Beaver with typed German specific letters.

wagnerian
02-20-2008, 07:13 PM
Great! This is what I've been waiting for so long!
I have tried to build a Korean keymap, but failed. :(

The A keymap is just a simple text file with keycodes on the left, the letter/symbol on the right.


Can you change the keymap file to use the character codes instead of the real characters?

This is the unicode encoding table:
http://www.utf8-chartable.de

yokos
02-21-2008, 10:13 AM
I have found here (http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=4656) 85 xmodmaps.

Hey wagnerian, a korean one is included, too. Maybe this works. But you need a font on iLiad with included korean letters.

I attached the file [which I found there] in #1, . I hope it's ok to upload it here.

nkelle
02-21-2008, 04:55 PM
Great news yokos,
I will try them out this weekend..

Best regards

nkelle