Keyboard layout options not working

Keyboard layout options not working

[Lars Rustand]

Hello, I'm trying to set the keyboard-layout options in my system
config. I have set the following:

-8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "us,no" #:options '("grp:switch")))
-8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

The above seems to have no effect. However, the same option works fine
when used with setxkbmap like this:

-8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
setxkbmap us,no -option 'grp:switch'
-8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

It also works fine if set in `/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf`
like this:

-8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us,no"
        Option "XkbOptions" "grp:switch"
EndSection
-8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Re: Keyboard layout options not working

[Efraim Flashner]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1536 bytes --]

On Thu, Dec 07, 2023 at 10:48:11AM +0100, Lars Rustand wrote:
> Hello, I'm trying to set the keyboard-layout options in my system
> config. I have set the following:
> 
> -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "us,no" #:options '("grp:switch")))
> -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> 
> The above seems to have no effect. However, the same option works fine
> when used with setxkbmap like this:
> 
> -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> setxkbmap us,no -option 'grp:switch'
> -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> 
> It also works fine if set in `/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf`
> like this:
> 
> -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> Section "InputClass"
>         Identifier "system-keyboard"
>         MatchIsKeyboard "on"
>         Option "XkbLayout" "us,no"
>         Option "XkbOptions" "grp:switch"
> EndSection
> -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

I wouldn't mind getting the answer to this too.

I have my keyboard config set in my os-config and also in my
sway-config.  IIRC the keyboard-layout works really well in a TTY but
not always as well on the desktop.

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Re: Keyboard layout options not working

[Hilton Chain]

Hi Efraim and Lars,
On Thu, 07 Dec 2023 18:28:53 +0800,
Efraim Flashner wrote:
>
> On Thu, Dec 07, 2023 at 10:48:11AM +0100, Lars Rustand wrote:
> > Hello, I'm trying to set the keyboard-layout options in my system config. I
> > have set the following:
> >
> > -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> > (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "us,no" #:options '("grp:switch")))
> > -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


In (gnu system keyboard), keyboard-layout is defined as:
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(keyboard-layout name (variant) (#:model) (#:options))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

So the following should be used instead:
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options '("grp:switch"))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


For TTY usage, the <keyboard-layout> record is used to create a console keymap
via ckbcomp, which has a different syntax from setxkbmap and requires a space
between layout and variant.


> > The above seems to have no effect. However, the same option works fine
> > when used with setxkbmap like this:
> >
> > -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> > setxkbmap us,no -option 'grp:switch'
> > -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> >
> > It also works fine if set in `/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf`
> > like this:
> >
> > -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> > Section "InputClass"
> >         Identifier "system-keyboard"
> >         MatchIsKeyboard "on"
> >         Option "XkbLayout" "us,no"
> >         Option "XkbOptions" "grp:switch"
> > EndSection
> > -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
> I wouldn't mind getting the answer to this too.
>
> I have my keyboard config set in my os-config and also in my
> sway-config.  IIRC the keyboard-layout works really well in a TTY but
> not always as well on the desktop.


And for X, xorg-configuration accepts a <keyboard-layout> record and sets option
XkbLayout to the name field of that record and XkbVariant to variant (only when
it's present).  Since XkbLayout recognizes the comma syntax and variant is not
set, the result is valid.

So support for <keyboard-layout> is really environment-specific... But for sway
there's a procedure in rde[1] to create an input configuration as an alist, I
think it can be adapted to create a string as well (I personally use a
mixed-text-file for my sway config[2]).


Thanks
---
[1]: https://git.sr.ht/~abcdw/rde/tree/master/item/src/rde/features/wm.scm#L94
[2]: https://github.com/rakino/Testament/blob/trunk/dorphine-home.scm#L129

Re: Keyboard layout options not working

[Lars Rustand]

Hilton Chain <hako@ultrarare.space> writes:
> In (gnu system keyboard), keyboard-layout is defined as:
>
> (keyboard-layout name (variant) (#:model) (#:options))
>
>
> So the following should be used instead:
>
> (keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options '("grp:switch"))

I tried the above, but I get this following errror:

-8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
error: (keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options (quote ("grp:switch"))): invalid field specifier
-8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

> And for X, xorg-configuration accepts a <keyboard-layout> record and sets option
> XkbLayout to the name field of that record and XkbVariant to variant (only when
> it's present).  Since XkbLayout recognizes the comma syntax and variant is not
> set, the result is valid.

Well, this comma syntax is precisely what I am trying to use. Note that
the "us,no" in my config refers to the list of US layout and NO layout,
not a NO variant of the US layout (I don't think there is such a
variant). The expected result of my keyboard-layout config is that I
have US layout by default, and when I hold down the right alt key I get
the NO layout.

A similar configuration is shown in the examples under the Keyboard
Layout section in the Guix manual. 

-8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
;; Arabic layout with "Alt-Shift" to switch to US layout.
(keyboard-layout "ar,us" #:options '("grp:alt_shift_toggle"))
-8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Re: Keyboard layout options not working

[Lars Rustand]

Lars Rustand <rustand.lars@gmail.com> writes:

>> (keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options '("grp:switch"))
>
> I tried the above, but I get this following errror:
>
> error: (keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options (quote ("grp:switch"))): invalid field specifier

I see I have made an error in the above, I pasted that directly into my
operating system definition instead of wrapping it in an additional
`keyboard-layout` field. When wrapping it it runs successfully, but I
still get the same result as before, i.e. it ignores my options and
additional layout.

Re: Keyboard layout options not working

[Hilton Chain]

On Thu, 07 Dec 2023 20:28:02 +0800,
Lars Rustand wrote:
>
>
> Hilton Chain <hako@ultrarare.space> writes:
> > In (gnu system keyboard), keyboard-layout is defined as:
> >
> > (keyboard-layout name (variant) (#:model) (#:options))
> >
> >
> > So the following should be used instead:
> >
> > (keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options '("grp:switch"))
>
> I tried the above, but I get this following errror:
>
> -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> error: (keyboard-layout "us" "no" #:options (quote ("grp:switch"))): invalid field specifier
> -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
> > And for X, xorg-configuration accepts a <keyboard-layout> record
> > and sets option XkbLayout to the name field of that record and
> > XkbVariant to variant (only when it's present).  Since XkbLayout
> > recognizes the comma syntax and variant is not set, the result is
> > valid.
>
> Well, this comma syntax is precisely what I am trying to use. Note
> that the "us,no" in my config refers to the list of US layout and NO
> layout, not a NO variant of the US layout (I don't think there is
> such a variant). The expected result of my keyboard-layout config is
> that I have US layout by default, and when I hold down the right alt
> key I get the NO layout.
>
> A similar configuration is shown in the examples under the Keyboard
> Layout section in the Guix manual.
>
> -8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> ;; Arabic layout with "Alt-Shift" to switch to US layout.
> (keyboard-layout "ar,us" #:options '("grp:alt_shift_toggle"))
> -8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


I didn't check setxkbmap when sending the mail, actually its syntax is
the same of ckbcomp.  So you don't have to change the procedure call,
sorry for my misinterpretation.

The keyboard-layout field of operating-system is solely for console
use (used by GRUB, and later loaded via loadkeys when booting).  So
you'll have to pass a <keyboard-layout> record to the keyboard-layout
field of your xorg-configuration.

Re: Keyboard layout options not working

[Lars Rustand]

Hilton Chain <hako@ultrarare.space> writes:
> The keyboard-layout field of operating-system is solely for console
> use (used by GRUB, and later loaded via loadkeys when booting).  So
> you'll have to pass a <keyboard-layout> record to the keyboard-layout
> field of your xorg-configuration.

Thanks, this worked! I was not aware that the keyboard-layout in the
operating-system definition was not used for xorg.