Keyboard and mouse issue (R 4.0.1)

[jrg.d...@gmail.com]

KEYBOARD

How do I set the "compose" key on the keyboard? I have run several Linux distributions (base on Debian/Ubuntu) for several years and have had no problems setting a compose key so that I could enter diacriticals and symbols like the em-dash and the Spanish upside down exclamation and question marks.

The other issue with the keyboard involves disabling the Caps Lock key (I am a fumble-fingered 73-year old and the caps lock key is the bane of my typing existence).

MOUSE

Before using the "Salt" method of setting up a sys-usb VM, I had my mouse set as left-handed. Then I got sys-usb set up. The mouse reverted to right-handed, but when I checked the System Tools --> Mouse and Touchpad, it indicated the mouse was left-handed.

But it is not :-( Changing the setting to right-handed and then back had no effect. I have searched the menus to no avail. Adding "Settings" to the sys-usb VM menu and then trying to invoke it failed.

[Ivan Mitev]

On 1/15/19 3:36 AM, jrg.d...@gmail.com wrote:
> KEYBOARD
>
> How do I set the "compose" key on the keyboard? I have run several Linux distributions (base on Debian/Ubuntu) for several years and have had no problems setting a compose key so that I could enter diacriticals and symbols like the em-dash and the Spanish upside down exclamation and question marks.

IIRC there's no gui setting in XFCE for setting a compose key. I don't
use such key myself but I guess you can edit dom0's
/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf and add XkbOptions there (eg.
Option "XkbOptions" "compose:menu"). Run `grep "compose:"
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst` to find what keys you can use.

Alternatively, set up an autostart command - you now know how to do
that:) - and run setxkbmap like so:

setxkbmap -option compose:menu

Note: keyboard settings are propagated from dom0 to VMs so you simply
need to set them in dom0 to have them working in all the VMs. However I
found that this was unreliable when switching languages - in case that's
something you have to configure see [1] for a workaround.

> The other issue with the keyboard involves disabling the Caps Lock key (I am a fumble-fingered 73-year old and the caps lock key is the bane of my typing existence).

XkbOptions: caps:none

or,

setxkbmap -option "caps:none"

Combined with the above:

setxkbmap -option "caps:none compose:menu"

> MOUSE
>
> Before using the "Salt" method of setting up a sys-usb VM, I had my mouse set as left-handed. Then I got sys-usb set up. The mouse reverted to right-handed, but when I checked the System Tools --> Mouse and Touchpad, it indicated the mouse was left-handed.
>
> But it is not :-( Changing the setting to right-handed and then back had no effect. I have searched the menus to no avail. Adding "Settings" to the sys-usb VM menu and then trying to invoke it failed.

Sorry, can't really help here; hopefully other users will chime in.

Dumb question though: are you sure you selected the right (no pun
intended) mouse in System Tools --> Mouse and Touchpad ? On my system I
have 3 mice - the laptop's trackpoint, touchpad and an external usb
mouse ; I just tried to set the right/left handed setting for each of
them (the setting works individually for each mouse) and it worked.



[1]
https://github.com/Qubes-Community/Contents/blob/master/docs/localization/keyboard-multiple-layouts.md#alternative-setups

[unman]

On Tue, Jan 15, 2019 at 09:26:31AM +0200, Ivan Mitev wrote:
>
>
> On 1/15/19 3:36 AM, jrg.d...@gmail.com wrote:
> > KEYBOARD
> >
> > How do I set the "compose" key on the keyboard? I have run several Linux distributions (base on Debian/Ubuntu) for several years and have had no problems setting a compose key so that I could enter diacriticals and symbols like the em-dash and the Spanish upside down exclamation and question marks.
>
> IIRC there's no gui setting in XFCE for setting a compose key. I don't
> use such key myself but I guess you can edit dom0's
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf and add XkbOptions there (eg.
> Option "XkbOptions" "compose:menu"). Run `grep "compose:"
> /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst` to find what keys you can use.
>

The default key combo is Shift+AltGR - enabled by default in X
You can also set XkbOptions compose: in /etc/default/keyboard

> Alternatively, set up an autostart command - you now know how to do
> that:) - and run setxkbmap like so:
>
> setxkbmap -option compose:menu
>
> Note: keyboard settings are propagated from dom0 to VMs so you simply
> need to set them in dom0 to have them working in all the VMs. However I
> found that this was unreliable when switching languages - in case that's
> something you have to configure see [1] for a workaround.
>
> > The other issue with the keyboard involves disabling the Caps Lock key (I am a fumble-fingered 73-year old and the caps lock key is the bane of my typing existence).
>
> XkbOptions: caps:none
>
> or,
>
> setxkbmap -option "caps:none"
>
> Combined with the above:
>
> setxkbmap -option "caps:none compose:menu"
>
>
> > MOUSE
> >
> > Before using the "Salt" method of setting up a sys-usb VM, I had my mouse set as left-handed. Then I got sys-usb set up. The mouse reverted to right-handed, but when I checked the System Tools --> Mouse and Touchpad, it indicated the mouse was left-handed.
> >
> > But it is not :-( Changing the setting to right-handed and then back had no effect. I have searched the menus to no avail. Adding "Settings" to the sys-usb VM menu and then trying to invoke it failed.
>
> Sorry, can't really help here; hopefully other users will chime in.
>
> Dumb question though: are you sure you selected the right (no pun
> intended) mouse in System Tools --> Mouse and Touchpad ? On my system I
> have 3 mice - the laptop's trackpoint, touchpad and an external usb
> mouse ; I just tried to set the right/left handed setting for each of
> them (the setting works individually for each mouse) and it worked.

Yes, making change in Systen Tools has always worked for me.

[Ivan Mitev]

On 1/15/19 2:42 PM, unman wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 15, 2019 at 09:26:31AM +0200, Ivan Mitev wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 1/15/19 3:36 AM, jrg.d...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> KEYBOARD
>>>
>>> How do I set the "compose" key on the keyboard? I have run several Linux distributions (base on Debian/Ubuntu) for several years and have had no problems setting a compose key so that I could enter diacriticals and symbols like the em-dash and the Spanish upside down exclamation and question marks.
>>
>> IIRC there's no gui setting in XFCE for setting a compose key. I don't
>> use such key myself but I guess you can edit dom0's
>> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf and add XkbOptions there (eg.
>> Option "XkbOptions" "compose:menu"). Run `grep "compose:"
>> /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst` to find what keys you can use.
>>
>
> The default key combo is Shift+AltGR - enabled by default in X
> You can also set XkbOptions compose: in /etc/default/keyboard

I thought that /etc/default/keyboard was only for debian and
derivatives. Are you sure it works for fedora ?

[John Goold]

First things first :-) When trying out keyboard changes, I wanted them to apply globally (they work just fine when I use setxkbmap..., thanks) and so made a change in dom0. Since the test change did not seem to work, I thought I would try a complete reboot (imagining that when dom0 starts up, it reads its configuration files and then doesn't reread them after that).

What a surprise -- my mouse reverted to being left-handed! I have no idea why (other than the reboot) or why it reverted to right-handed (other than the sys-usb VM being set up). Any way, the problem has "gone away".

Now for the keyboard changes. As I indicated, I wanted to turn off the Caps Lock key and set a "compose" key.

I launched a dom0 terminal and sudo'ed to root. Then I edited the file "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf" and added the XkbOptions line. It now reads:

Section "InputClass"
Identifier "system-keyboard"
MatchIsKeyboard "on"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none"
EndSection

After rebooting, the Caps Lock key is now off in all Qubes :-) However, I am not sure of the syntax of this file and do not want to make an error in the file in case it makes my keyboard inactive.

Can I change that last Option line to:

Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none compose:menu"

or do need to use a comma to separate the two options (could not find this information in the Wikipedia article) OR, possibly use:

Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none"
Option "XkbOptions" "compose:menu"

[unman]

Not really a Fedora person. Probably not. :-(
On the other hand, I *do* find a GUI way of setting the key under System
Settings/Keyboard in KDE, and in Xfce, under
SystemTools-Keyboard-Layout.

[Ivan Mitev]

Oh, you're right - as usual :)

I remember trying to assign a compose key looong ago and not finding
anything in XFCE ; a web search also returned many "XFCE doesn't provide
a way to set a compose key..." so I assumed there was still no GUI for that.

[Ivan Mitev]

On 1/15/19 11:04 PM, John Goold wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 9:08:48 AM UTC-6, Ivan Mitev wrote:
>> On 1/15/19 2:42 PM, unman wrote:
>>> On Tue, Jan 15, 2019 at 09:26:31AM +0200, Ivan Mitev wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 1/15/19 3:36 AM, jrg.d...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> KEYBOARD
>>>>>
>>>>> How do I set the "compose" key on the keyboard? I have run several Linux distributions (base on Debian/Ubuntu) for several years and have had no problems setting a compose key so that I could enter diacriticals and symbols like the em-dash and the Spanish upside down exclamation and question marks.
>>>>
>>>> IIRC there's no gui setting in XFCE for setting a compose key. I don't
>>>> use such key myself but I guess you can edit dom0's
>>>> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf and add XkbOptions there (eg.
>>>> Option "XkbOptions" "compose:menu"). Run `grep "compose:"
>>>> /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst` to find what keys you can use.
>>>>
>>>
>>> The default key combo is Shift+AltGR - enabled by default in X
>>> You can also set XkbOptions compose: in /etc/default/keyboard
>>
>> I thought that /etc/default/keyboard was only for debian and
>> derivatives. Are you sure it works for fedora ?
>
> First things first :-) When trying out keyboard changes, I wanted them to apply globally (they work just fine when I use setxkbmap..., thanks) and so made a change in dom0. Since the test change did not seem to work, I thought I would try a complete reboot (imagining that when dom0 starts up, it reads its configuration files and then doesn't reread them after that).

Indeed, tweaking X conf files will require a reboot in Qubes OS. With a
standard distribution you'd log off, kill/restart the X server, and log
in again, but if you do so in Qubes OS your VM apps won't be displayed
anymore (not sure if it's a bug or a feature - I never log off anyway so
it doesn't bother me).

> What a surprise -- my mouse reverted to being left-handed! I have no idea why (other than the reboot) or why it reverted to right-handed (other than the sys-usb VM being set up). Any way, the problem has "gone away".

Magic :)

> Now for the keyboard changes. As I indicated, I wanted to turn off the Caps Lock key and set a "compose" key.
>
> I launched a dom0 terminal and sudo'ed to root. Then I edited the file "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf" and added the XkbOptions line. It now reads:
>
> Section "InputClass"
> Identifier "system-keyboard"
> MatchIsKeyboard "on"
> Option "XkbLayout" "us"
> Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none"
> EndSection
>
> After rebooting, the Caps Lock key is now off in all Qubes :-) However, I am not sure of the syntax of this file and do not want to make an error in the file in case it makes my keyboard inactive.
>
> Can I change that last Option line to:
>
> Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none compose:menu"
>
> or do need to use a comma to separate the two options (could not find this information in the Wikipedia article) OR, possibly use:
>
> Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none"
> Option "XkbOptions" "compose:menu"
>

You'll have to use commas - eg.

Option "XkbOptions" "caps:none,compose:menu"

In case you mess up your X config and X won't start you should see a
text login prompt instead the graphical login; you can login and fix
conf files from there like you did from a terminal in dom0.

[unman]

On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 08:31:37AM +0200, Ivan Mitev wrote:
>
>
> > Not really a Fedora person. Probably not. :-(
> > On the other hand, I *do* find a GUI way of setting the key under System
> > Settings/Keyboard in KDE, and in Xfce, under
> > SystemTools-Keyboard-Layout.
>
> Oh, you're right - as usual :)
>

I think I've already demonstrated that this is not so.

[John Goold]

Perfect! Now my keyboard settings really are global and, as such things should be, set in one place.

Thank you for all the help you have been giving me.