Re: X keyboard mapping.

[Eddie Maddox <emaddox@sihope.com>]

> On 8 Feb 1999 jfm2@club-internet.fr wrote:

> > But did you get the right keybopard mapping?
> 
> No. I did not try to figure out a workaround for this problem.
> 
> The installation already has a dialog box asking us to choose our
> preferred keyboard mapping.
> Yet X didn't "get" it.

Date: 8 Feb 1999 21:26:10 -0000
From: jfm2@club-internet.fr

> > Xconfigurator 3.89 asked me lots of questions.
> > ** But, not about keyboard mapping or screen size in pixels.

> > 1. X/KDE did not detect/ask/autoconfigure the keyboard mapping
> > to what I had selected during the installation.

> I have a french keyboard.  When I type "a" and the keyboard is
> unconfigured Linux (and X) will display a "q".  But when I rebooted,
> started X and typed "a", guess what it displayed?  "a".

> So Xconfigurator managed to extract the info from the kernel or of the
> keyboard config files and doesn't need to ask the user.  At least for
> non-US, non-dvorak keyboards.

(Jean, our two messages passed each other over/under the Atlantic ocean
the other day. I was hoping my message was clear enough. Perhaps not.)

From Jean, continuing:
> There was a time where X was able to extract keyboard tables from the
> kernel so in the Keyboard Section in XF86Config all you had to do was
> to tell X to use that feature..

I don't expect to be around the list here every day, but I'll do what I
can.

After reading Jean's message that had passed mine in mid-ocean, I was
trying to think of how to reconcile his testing results with the problem.

I checked the XF86Config file. The keyboard section has an entry that
says, 'XkbLayout "us"'. I changed it to "dvorak-r". Did "startx" again.
Now my X keyboard mapping is correct.

So, since I selected "dvorak-r" during the installation dialog, why don't
XConfigurator, XF86Setup and X change that XF86Config file entry to
reflect my selection made during that installation dialog?

This is different from Jean's testing experience, apparently.


------------------
Eddie Maddox
emaddox@sihope.com