Xfce Forum

davecs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-21

Posts: 24

Keyboard Layout tweaks

I like to have two keyboard layouts I can switch between, using the Scroll Lock key. This is easy in the XFCE Settings Manager.

I also like to use the Caps Lock key as the Compose Key. Again, straightforward.

However, I want two other settings, which are possible in many other desktops, and also using setxkbdmap, but if I write a startup script to do it, it's not effective unless I put a sleep command in the script, so that the lines that follow are run after other scripts are completed. I end up with a script like this:

#!/bin/bash

#wait a while to let original setup finish first, on a slow computer you might need to give it more time
#otherwise the changes made in this script will be overwritten and ineffective
sleep 15

#this line adds the option for two shift keys together to set CAPS LOCK, and one of them alone to cancel it.
setxkbmap -option "shift:both_capslock_cancel"

#this line causes the SCROLL LOCK lamp to come on when you switch to your secondary keyboard layout.
setxkbmap -option "grp_led:scroll"

15 seconds might seem a long time, but on a first boot, it's needed.

What I would like is one of these:

To know where the current script is for the keyboard settings so I can add the necessary lines in there.
or
To be able to set certain login scripts to run only when other scripts are completed
or
To have the options for lighting the scroll key to indicate a secondary keyboard layout, and to have the option for two shifts to act as CAPS LOCK and one shift to release it.

Thanks!

Added later 20 h 47 min 07 s:
I've found a way of doing this, but because the options aren't available in the Settings Manager, I think that if I have to run the Keyboard applet in the Settings Manager, I will have to do it again. I've used Settings Editor, and, under the keyboard-layout channel, edited XkbOptions/Group string to read:

grp:sclk_toggle,grp_led:scroll,shift:both_capslock_cancel

This seems to be working as desired.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,482

Re: Keyboard Layout tweaks

Thanks for sharing the solution.

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