[Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

ordinary · 2011-05-27 01:12:03

Hi all,

I'd like to specify a compose key to type accented characters.

All the Google results I can find go back to old, old versions... nothing recent, and none of the ones I've found work or apply. (For example, files they said to edit have directory structures that don't exist in my version.) Searching this forum turns up zero results for the term "compose key".

I only recently switched from regular Ubuntu to Xubuntu Natty. In Gnome there is a GUI for this: in the keyboard prefs dialog.

Thanks!

Last edited by ordinary (2011-05-27 01:12:45)

ManOfSteel · 2011-05-27 08:42:15

It has nothing to do with Xfce or any DE. I don't know how GNOME does it, but it it's possible it's reinventing the wheel. smile

There's a Xorg utility called setxkbmap. You can set the Windows key for example as compose key like that:

% setxkbmap -option compose:rwin

Add this command to your X startup in ~/.xinitrc, ~/.xsession, etc.

ordinary · 2011-06-03 16:32:14

I don't have either of those files at the moment. Should I create them? And just enter that command as you've written it?

I entered the command in the terminal and it seemed to accept it (at least it didn't throw back any errors) but it didn't change anything.

(Gnome allows you to set the compose key within the keyboard settings dialog. Very easy.)

Last edited by ordinary (2011-06-03 16:32:54)

Ailurus · 2011-06-04 12:28:55

Are you sure you don't have the ~/.xinitrc file? The dot makes it a hidden file - in Thunar (or Nautilus) use Ctrl + H to display your hidden files, or just edit the file from a terminal.

I solved the Compose Key in another way. Added this to ~/.xinitrc:

xmodmap ~/.xmodmap

And created the file ~/.xmodmap

keycode 133 = Multi_key

Where 133 is the Windows-Flag key. You can check this by opening a terminal and type xev, and watch for the output in the terminal as you press different keys.

ManOfSteel · 2011-06-04 12:30:03

ordinary wrote:

I don't have either of those files at the moment. Should I create them?

Yes, either one of them: .xinitrc if you start X using xinit or startx, .xsession if you log in using a display manager.

ordinary wrote:

And just enter that command as you've written it?

Without the "percent" (shell prompt) symbol, of course. Anything involved in the process of starting X should work too, including Xfce's autostart.

ordinary wrote:

I entered the command in the terminal [...] but it didn't change anything.

What do you expect to "change"? Did you, for instance, open a text editor, press the right Windows key, then `, then a? Did it beep, or did it do nothing, or did it print `a?

ordinary · 2011-06-09 14:13:17

ManOfSteel wrote:

ordinary wrote:
I don't have either of those files at the moment. Should I create them?
Yes, either one of them: .xinitrc if you start X using xinit or startx, .xsession if you log in using a display manager.

I definitely do not have either of those files. Oddly, I do have ~/.xsession-errors, just no ~/.xsession.

I log in using Xubuntu.

ManOfSteel wrote:

ordinary wrote:
I entered the command in the terminal [...] but it didn't change anything.
What do you expect to "change"? Did you, for instance, open a text editor, press the right Windows key, then `, then a? Did it beep, or did it do nothing, or did it print `a?

I expected the accented character to result. What happens is I hit the Windows key, then the apostrophe, then the e, and I wind up with this: 'e.

I've tried using ~/.Xmodmap to bind my multimedia keys but it wound up being buggy and unreliable. (It only occasionally worked. I added xfce4-volumed to my startup applications, but sometimes had to manually launch it from the command line to get it to actually activate and listen to my button presses. I've never solved that problem... but that's a whollllllle 'nother post.)

Thanks for the responses!

ordinary · 2011-06-09 14:19:59

Woop! Thanks, Ailurus and all who responded. The problem was that I needed to map my Windows key to Multi_key using ~/.Xmodmap. I just did and now I can typé accénted charactérs!

Thanks all!

Lightning_John · 2012-01-27 17:01:10

I understand that this is an old post but I was hoping for a repost of the exact steps to implement Compose Key on Xubuntu 11.10

I've tried to hash out the steps involved in activating Compose Key in an Xcfe environment with no success.
I read the old wiki for Xcfe and applied the proper changes to /etc/default/console-setup which was supposed to enable the use of "rwin" combined with composing special characters such as French characters and some math symbols.

I have repeated the steps several times. I've tried wiping some of the files within the X11 folders, starting in terminal and reinstalling them to their default. Nothing seems to work.

I am not to familiar with what could be affecting my ability to compose keys.

Simple info about the system:

I am running Ubuntu 11.10 on Linux kernel 3.0.0-15-generic with Xfce environment Version 4.8

My current keyboard set-up:

Several custom shortcut keys using the Keyboard settings: Most are (<control> + alt) and a few ("win" + alt) or just ("win")

I am using IBUS mode to be able to use PINYIN 拼音 characters, but I have tried doing the steps with it disabled. Same results.

I am using a colemak layout. I have tried using other layouts, but nothing seems to work.

At one point when I edited the "console-setup" file to include "rwin" an applied the ( ctrl + alt + bksp) to restart "xserver" everything worked. Joyous moment, yet once I restarted the system it seemed like my settings were wiped and replaced by the generic settings.

That never happened again after I updated the Linux Kernel. (This is an ongoing search for me.) It's not too important, more of a pain in the butt, if understand my meaning.

Last edited by Lightning_John (2012-01-27 17:03:13)

Lightning_John · 2012-01-27 17:05:46

ordinary wrote:

Woop! Thanks, Ailurus and all who responded. The problem was that I needed to map my Windows key to Multi_key using ~/.Xmodmap. I just did and now I can typé accénted charactérs!
Thanks all!

Dear Ordinary,

I would be extremely grateful if you could give a short step to step description of the actions that cause Compose Key to function within Xubuntu 11.10

Much appreciated,
Lightning.

Lightning_John · 2012-01-29 00:40:55

Solved wink Thanks, to ManofSteel and Ailurus and Ordinary, it seems that I had compose key all along. It took looking through some files and reading many forums, but all I had to do was add the command

setxkbmap -option compose:rwin

to the auto-start file.

The problem was that for some reason the key rwin is actually my ralt. I think someone mixed up some of the keys on my keyboard. I rarely look at the keyboard because I use the Colemak layout instead of your typical QWERTY layout.

Thanks to those on this thread for posting your thoughts.

Here is the proof.

Merci beaucoup Monsieurs ou/et Madames pour l'aide que vous avez écrit ici. L'information est trés utile. Aussi, si vous avez trouvé cette page et vous avez besoin d'une liste des clés de <<Compose Key>>. Vois-y.

http://www.hermit.org/Linux/ComposeKeys.html

Last edited by Lightning_John (2012-01-29 00:46:11)

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#1 2011-05-27 01:12:03

[Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#2 2011-05-27 08:42:15

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#3 2011-06-03 16:32:14

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#4 2011-06-04 12:28:55

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#5 2011-06-04 12:30:03

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#6 2011-06-09 14:13:17

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#7 2011-06-09 14:19:59

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#8 2012-01-27 17:01:10

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#9 2012-01-27 17:05:46

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

#10 2012-01-29 00:40:55

Re: [Solved] How to set XFCE4 compose key?

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