Typing special characters in KDE (like žťš)

[Skyer]

Hello,
recently, I managed to install KDE 4,6. I am international user, and I would like to be able to type characters like žľšč and so on. They are accessible through keys near backspace, however, I'd like to be able to type them with Shit+key right left to backspace+[key] combination, where output is the key I pressed with wedge (inverse of ^ character). Is there any way to make KDE behave like that?

Thanks.

[Apheus]

Maybe Compose Keys can do what you want: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compose_key

An example configuration file for X (/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/11-keyboard.conf):

[Skyer]

Thanks for your reply,
however, your's posted configuration does not work for me, it brakes keyboard input somehow, so no input is registered at all. (No keys at all, had to click back to console login).

I think I am missing something here, this was the first time I installed X and Kde by hand, so it's possible that I am missing something basic.

[Apheus]

For this configuration to work, you need x11-base/xorg-server version >= 1.9, and evdev support in your kernel.

Complete X server configuration guide: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xorg-config.xml

[Skyer]

Well,
I have got xorg-server installed (1.9.4), Event Interface (assuming that that's evdev) is enabled in kernel too. I'll dig more into configuration guide for now, maybe I configured something wrong...

[jbouzan]

Can you maybe configure some kind of global shortcuts in kcharselect? First emerge kcharselect

[Skyer]

[Skyer]

Finally managed to solve it,
but only for Gnome - I simply applied local keyboard layout. I have done same thing with KDE, but I am not sure if it works/is saved actually, because I can't edit system setting there - "not authenticated" - also running as root produces failure.

EDIT: Well, now it seems like some applications support "mine way to type international characters", and some not. (Firefox supports it well, but not Psi+, for example).

[Etal]

If you're still interested in the Compose key, try out this tutorial. It worked well for me (except you you have to be sure xmodmap is run each time you login)
_________________
“And even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable.”– Hillary Clinton, Jan. 21, 2010

[Apheus]

[Etal]

Compose key, on the other hand, is an Xorg feature (tooklit-independent), so it will work with anything
_________________
“And even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable.”– Hillary Clinton, Jan. 21, 2010

[Skyer]

[Etal]

Hmm, maybe it's because of the different keyboardl layout? Because ' + s = ś for me

What does your apostrophe return if you press it with xev? I get:

[Skyer]

Oh I am sorry,
Compose + ' + s = ś for me too, but the ' symbol is not made by a key I am used to when making ś (which actually does not exists in my language). I standardly use ´ key, with corresponding letter. So
´ + s = ś
ˇ + s = š

I'll take a look at .XCompose file, but I am afraid that I am missing some more general feature here.

[Etal]

I guess I am misunderstanding your problem. I thought you wanted to be able to type characters that are not on your keyboard.

If you have those keys on your keyboard then I think they should work if you have the right keyboard layout... Which one do you use? Maybe what you're looking for is AltGr?

Unfortunately, I don't know much about non-English keyboards
_________________
“And even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable.”– Hillary Clinton, Jan. 21, 2010

[Skyer]

I am trying to type, for example, letter ś.

I am used to do it pressing Shift + ´ + s. Also, I can type single ´ by pressing ´ + ´ (huh, those two keys pressed continuously produce that symbol).
The ´ key is located left to backspace, it's row is right under row with F keys (F1,F2..).

Also it's analogous for ˇ. I use same key, but I have to hold shift while pressing it. (Shift + ´ + s = š).

´ key is not compose key, I can't write letters like ô, @ with it.

Compose + ' + s = ś, but for me ' key is not ´ key. I mean, those two haven't anything to do with each other. The ' key is located next to the enter key.

Hope I made myself clear, I am not national English speaker, so sorry for my English.

[Apheus]

Maybe you need an "nodeadkeys" variant of your keyboard layout. A "dead key" is a key which produces nothing when pressed alone, but yields a character when a key is pressed afterwards. Your ´ is a dead key: You can press ´ and nothing happens, but when you press "E" afterwards, you get "é" (If I understood you correctly). To type ´ alone, you have to press it twice.

The line

[Skyer]

Thanks for your reply.
From the description you provided, I am used to type with deadkeys on. I would like to have Shift + ´ + s = š style of typing globally in X, but as you mentioned before, it only works in GTK+ applications.
That's why I would like to make it global somehow, so it won't depend on any toolkits. I, however, don't know how...

[cjubon]

Kde allows you to have multiple keyboard layouts (systemsettings > region/country > keyboard layout > check the „activate keyboard layouts“ checkbox and move the layouts you need in to the right column, let’s say us-english, german, and slovak). You can switch between these layouts by clicking on the flag that appears in your taskbar.

Further, you should double check that you defined your country’s keyboard layout in /etc/conf.d/keymaps.

Hope this helps.
_________________
Mandrake Dec 2001 · Debian "Woody" Aug 2002 · Gentoo Jan 2004 · Funtoo Oct 2009

[Anthony J. Bentley]

[Skyer]

Thanks for your replies,

[cjubon]

[Skyer]

Well,
I haven't made it to satisfying solution so far, but at least, I use GTK+ applications more, so I can use computer without any wider problems. (If anyone found full-time solution, feel free to provide it)