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54 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
54 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
Using multiple keyboard layouts
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===============================
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The [official Qubes OS faq entry](https://www.qubes-os.org/faq/#my-keyboard-layout-settings-are-not-behaving-correctly-what-should-i-do) only covers how to change the layout *globally* - ie. both for dom0 and VMs, with a *single* layout.
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This document shows several ways of using *multiple* keyboard layouts and being able to *quickly* switch between them.
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Recommended setup
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-----------------
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Run `setxkbmap` in *each* VM. Dom0 stays untouched (running `setxkbmap` in dom0 too will interfere with the VM's `setxkbmap` setup).
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For instance the following command would alternate between the US English and the Bulgarian phonetic layout when pressing both shift keys:
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~~~
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setxkbmap -layout "us,bg(phonetic)" -option "grp:shifts_toggle"
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~~~
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To automatically run the `setxkbmap` command when the VM starts, add a `/etc/xdg/autostart/setxkbmap.desktop` file in the VM's *template* with the following content:
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~~~
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[Desktop Entry]
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Name=Configure multiple keyboard layouts
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Exec=setxkbmap -layout "us,bg(phonetic)" -option "grp:shifts_toggle"
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Terminal=true
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Type=Application
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~~~
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Note: for some reason, with `Terminal=false` the setxkbmap settings aren't applied until one runs `setxkbmap` without options in a terminal. Setting `Terminal=true` works around this problem, but you will notice a terminal flicker at startup.
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If you prefer to have a per-vm setup rather than per-template, create a `/rw/config/setxkbmap.desktop` with the same content as above and add the following line to `/rw/config/rc.local`:
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~~~
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cp /rw/config/setxkbmap.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart
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~~~
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Note: the reason we can't put the `setxkbmap` command in the `rc.local` script is because the X server isn't running when `rc.local` is executed.
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Alternatively, you could add the `setxkbmap` command to your profile's `.bashrc` file if you use terminals to start applications.
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Alternative setups
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------------------
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- Configure a keyboard shortcut in dom0 that would run `qvm-run vname 'setxkbmap ...'`, where the VM is the one whose window is under the mouse pointer (using `xprop -id $(xdotool getactivewindow`) ). An advantage is that it doesn't require tweaking VMs or templates, but this is a bit convoluted and `qvm-run` is sometimes slow when the system is under heavy I/O usage, so the layout switch doesn't happen immediately which is annoying.
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- Change the layout with `setxkbmap` *only in dom0*. This isn't optimal because:
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- there is no way to know which layout is used when typing the password in the xscreensaver's password field.
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- sometimes the keyboard layout would not be propagated to one of the VMs, requiring a reboot of the VM.
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- Once Qubes OS gains support for keyboard layout propagation from dom0 to VMs (see [this official issue](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/1396)) the desktop environment's keyboard layout switcher (eg. Xfce Keyboard Layout switcher) could be used instead of `setxkbmap`. It is not clear however if this solution won't have the same issues as above.
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- Change the layout in dom0 with `localectl`: it's a no-go as it requires a reboot
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`Contributors: @taradiddles`
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