keyboard - Using keyboards for different native languages
The keyboard lets you type not only the characters printed
on the keycaps, but all the characters from the character
set for the language that your keyboard supports.
For your keyboard to function correctly with your system,
you must load a keyboard mapping table (keymap) that is
appropriate for your keyboard's model and language. If you
load a keymap that does not correspond to your keyboard's
model and language, your keyboard behavior is unpredictable.
The label located on the bottom surface of a
keyboard usually specifies its model (five letter code)
and language (two letter code). See the reference page for
the native language you are using (Spanish(5), for example)
to find tables that associate keyboard styles and
models with keymap names.
Setting the Correct Keyboard for Login [Toc] [Back]
When any user logs on to a system, the system-default keyboard
setting must be appropriate for the keys that the
user presses when entering characters in the username and
password fields. Otherwise, characters that are correct
from the user perspective, given the keyboard being used,
may be treated as invalid. In this case, the user cannot
log on the the system. This situation most often arises
when a keyboard is being used in one language and the system-default
keyboard setting is another language. If you
choose not to use the keys that are set for the systemdefault
keyboard, you must use one of the following two
methods to change the system default keyboard: Change the
keyboard language at the console prompt
In this case, the system recognizes the hardware
layout of the keyboard (PCXAL, for example), but
requires more input with respect to how characters
are mapped to specific keys. The X server, which
has control of the system at the time users log on,
recognizes keyboard language changes set at the
console prompt. Change the keymap used by the X
server by editing the Xserver.conf file
This is the only option for changing the systemdefault
keyboard when the keyboard language you
need is not one of those listed at the console
level. Using this option also overrides at login
time any keyboard setting made at the console
level. In this case, you are specifying a keymap
file to the X server. A keymap specification must
be correct from both the hardware perspective (keyboard
layout) and how characters are mapped to specific
keys.
Edit the /usr/var/X11/Xserver.conf file by adding
the -xkbmap option to the arguments list after the
-pn option:
! you specify command line arguments here args <
-pn -xkbmap <keymap-filename_keymap-name> >
For example:
! you specify command line arguments here args <
-pn -xkbmap /usr/lib/X11/xkb/keymaps.dir_digital_japanese_pcxajaa
>
This example changes the system-default keyboard to
be a PCXAL hardware layout and Japanese JIS character
entry. For more information about editing the
Xserver.conf file, see Xdec(1X). For more extensive
information about keyboard use and changing the
keyboard setting after login, see dxkeyboard(1).
The operating system supports keymaps in xmodmap format,
xkb format, or both formats. Note that xkb format is recommended,
and keymaps for new keyboards may be available
only in that format.
After logging on, you can use the Keyboard Options application
(dxkeyboard) to change your keyboard setting during
a CDE session. The next two sections describe how to do
this. In CDE, selecting keyboards through menu choices
loads keymaps in xkb format. However, you can load keymaps
in xmodmap format if you prefer. Note that any changes
made to the keyboard setting using dxkeyboard do not
affect the keyboard setting that applies when you are logging
on the system. Only the system-default keyboard setting
affects system login.
Loading Keymaps in xkb Format [Toc] [Back]
During a CDE session, use the following steps to load a
keymap in xkb format: Click on the Application Manager's
icon on the Front Panel. Double click on the Desktop_Apps
icon to show the Desktop Applications. Double click on
the Keyboard Options icon.
The Keyboard Option dialog box displays two selection
lists From the Language list in the dialog
box, choose the language for your keyboard. From
the Keyboard Type list in the dialog box, choose
the model of your keyboard. Click on the Apply or
OK button.
All supported keyboard models are not represented in the
Keyboard Type selection list displayed by the dxkeyboard
application.
Loading Keymaps in xmodmap Format [Toc] [Back]
Use the following steps to load a keymap in xmodmap format:
Check the /usr/lib/X11/keymaps directory to find the
name.keymap file that corresponds to your keyboard model
and language. Use the following command to load the
keymap:
% /usr/bin/X11/xmodmap /usr/lib/X11/keymaps/name.keymap
Using the Keyboard [Toc] [Back]
For most native languages, you usually enter characters by
using a one- or two-key sequence. For example, you press a
letter key to enter a letter in lowercase and hold down
Shift while pressing the letter key to enter the letter in
uppercase. However, keyboards that support certain languages
may support more than two characters per keycap.
When using these keyboards, you have to press several
keys, either at the same time or in sequence, to enter
some of the characters in the language. The following sections
describe the prefix and modifier keys used for different
kinds of character input methods and then provide
instructions on using those input methods.
Note
Because support is retired for LK-series keyboards for
Turbochannel machines (LK20*, LK40*, and LK42*), the discussion
in this reference page focuses on PC-style keyboards
and supported VT-style keyboards. For information
on retired VT-style keyboards, refer to the reference
pages for specific languages or those included with earlier
versions of the operating system.
PREFIX AND MODIFIER KEYS [Toc] [Back] Both the VT-style and PC-style keyboards group keys by
function into four subsets, or keypads. This discussion is
only about the main keypad and not the auxilliary keypads.
The main keypad, which is similar to a typewriter keyboard,
contains the keys with alphanumeric characters,
punctuation marks, the space bar, and Shift keys. Unlike a
typewriter keyboard, the main keypad contains additional
modifier and prefix keys. Modifier keys are pressed in
combination with another key, to modify the code sent by
that key. Prefix keys are pressed and released before
pressing another key, to change the function of one or
more keystrokes that follow.
Lock and Shift, which are found on the typewriter keyboard,
are examples of keys that are implemented as modifier
or prefix keys for PC-style keyboards. Ctrl, Alt,
and Compose, not found on typewriter keyboards, are also
examples of keycap engravings that identify a modifier or
prefix key. However, the engraved names and functions of
modifier and prefix keys may differ from one native language
to another.
Control keys [Toc] [Back]
Control keys (whose keycap engraving usually is Ctrl) are
most often used to send a control (nonprintable) character
to the host system. For example, holding down Ctrl while
pressing the letter C usually sends a sequence that stops,
or aborts, an operation. However, a control key is sometimes
used in conjunction with other modifier keys to perform
some special keyboard functions.
On VT-style keyboards, there is one control key, which is
located on the left side of the main keypad. On PC-style
keyboards, there are two control keys, which are located
on the left and right sides of the main keypad.
Shift Keys [Toc] [Back]
Shift keys (whose keycap engraving is usually Shift) cause
a standard key to send an uppercase character for alphabetic
keys or shifted (top) character for nonalphabetic
keys. There are two Shift keys on the VT-style and PCstyle
keyboards. Holding down Shift while pressing a standard
key sends the uppercase character on alphabetic keys
or shifted (top) character engraved on nonalphabetic keys.
Lock Key [Toc] [Back]
The lock key (whose keycap engraving usually includes
Lock) can put the keyboard in Caps Lock mode or Shift Lock
mode. On VT-style and PC-style keyboards, there is one
lock key, which is located on the left side of the main
keypad.
You can set the lock mode (Caps Lock mode or Shift Lock
mode) for your keyboard by using the interface that your
windows application environment provides for general keyboard
setup. In the Common Desktop Environment (CDE), you
choose the Keyboard application. (The path name for this
application is /usr/dt/bin/dxkeyboard.)
In Caps Lock mode, the alphabetic keys send their uppercase
(shifted) character when pressed alone. For Caps Lock
mode, pressing and releasing the lock key turns on the
mode and pressing and releasing the lock key again turns
off the mode. In Shift Lock mode, all keys on the main
keypad send their shifted character when pressed alone.
For Shift Lock mode, pressing and releasing the Lock key
turns on the mode, and pressing and releasing either the
Lock or the Shift key turns off the mode.
Compose-Character Keys [Toc] [Back]
Compose-character keys (often engraved with Compose) were
originally designed to prefix a sequence of keystrokes.
However, for most languages on VT-style keyboards, the
left compose-character key has been redefined to be the
group-shift or alternate-function key.
PC-style keyboards do not include Compose keys.
Alternate-Function Keys [Toc] [Back]
Alternate-function keys (usually engraved with Alt or Alt
Gr) either select alternate functions defined by application
software or generate characters not present on the
keyboard. The VT-style and PC-style keyboards have two
alternate-function keys, one on each side of the main keypad.
For PC-style keyboards supporting languages other than
American English, the alternate-function key on the right
side is engraved with Alt Gr, rather than Alt.
INPUT METHODS FOR CHARACTER ENTRY [Toc] [Back] Note
This reference page does not discuss complex input methods
used to input characters in Asian languages. See the Chinese(5), Japanese(5), Korean(5), and Thai(5) reference
pages for information about input methods used with a particular
Asian language.
The alphanumeric and punctuation characters used for a
particular native language are usually all present on the
keyboard for that language. Depending on the number of
characters in the alphabet for the language, it is sometimes
necessary to engrave more than two characters per
keycap. In this case, the more frequently used characters
are usually engraved on the left side of the keycaps and
the less frequently used characters on the right side of
the keycaps. Characters on the left side of the keycap
are called Group 1 characters and those on the right side
of the keycap are called Group 2 characters.
Entering Characters Engraved on the Keycaps [Toc] [Back]
The keycaps on keyboards for languages supported by the
ISO Latin character sets can be engraved with characters
from one or two alphabets. Keyboards on which only one
alphabet appears support languages, such as Czech, French,
and German, whose alphabets are similar to English. Keyboards
on which two alphabets appear (English and nativelanguage)
support languages, such as Greek, Hebrew, and
Russian, whose alphabets are very different from English.
The number of supported alphabets determines the input
method used to enter characters engraved on the right side
of keycaps.
For keyboards that support ISO Latin character sets and
only one alphabet: Enter the characters engraved on the
left half of keycaps in the ordinary way. That is, press
the key itself to enter the character engraved on the bottom
left of its keycap and press Shift in combination with
the key to enter the character engraved on the top left of
the keycap. Purely alphabetic keys usually have only the
uppercase letters (entered in combination with the Shift
key) engraved on the keycap. In this case, pressing the
key by itself enters the lowercase letter. Enter the
characters engraved on the right half of keycaps in one of
the following ways: Load a keyboard mapping table (keymap)
that is different from the default
In this case, the keyboard selection application
for your windows environment displays both a typewriter
(TW) option and a data-processing (DP)
option for the combination of keyboard and language
you are using. The typewriter keymap is loaded by
default and you must replace this with the dataprocessing
keymap to enter the additional characters.
Use the key that performs the group-shift
keyboard function if this function is supported for
your language and keyboard. See the section titled
``Group-Shift Input Method'' for more information.
For keyboards that support ISO Latin character sets and
two alphabets: Enter the characters engraved on the upper
left corner of the keycaps in the usual way, by pressing
the key by itself to enter the lowercase letter (or bottom
left character) and pressing Shift with that key to enter
the uppercase letter (or top left character). Enter the
character engraved on the lower right corner of the keycaps
by using a mode-switch key or key sequence. See the
section titled "Mode-Switch Input Method" for more information.
Group-Shift Input Method [Toc] [Back]
The group-shift keyboard function allows you to enter the
Group 2 characters (engraved on the right half of keycaps)
without changing the keyboard mapping table.
Support for the group-shift function depends in part on
whether the keymap loaded for your keyboard is in xkb or
xmodmap format. When you set your keyboard option using
the Keyboard application in the Common Desktop Environment,
xkb format is used.
If you load a keymap in xkb format, the operating system
supports the group-shift function for most ISO Latin keyboards,
both VT- and PC-styles. The exceptions are keyboards
for languages, such as American English and
Portuguese, that do not need more than two characters
assigned to the same keycap.
If you load a keymap in xmodmap format, support for the
group-shift function is available for all VT-style keyboards
and for all PC-style keyboards having keycaps with
more than two characters.
Assuming that the loaded keymap supports the group-shift
function, you enter characters on the right side of keycaps
in the following way: Enter the bottom right character
by holding down the key defined to be the group-shift
key along with the character key.
This entry method also applies to characters
engraved in the middle right position of the keycap.
Characters are engraved in this position when
a key supports three, rather than four, characters.
Enter the top right character by holding down the
Shift key along with the group-shift and character
keys.
For VT-style keyboards, the group-shift function is
assigned to the compose-character key (usually engraved
with Compose orGroup Shift ) on the left side of the main
keypad.
For PC-style keyboards, the group-shift function is
assigned to the alternate-function key on the right side
of the main keypad. For most languages, this key is
engraved with Alt Gr rather than Alt.
Note
The effect of the group-shift key is only temporary. This
means that you need to press the group-shift key each time
you enter a Group 2 character (engraved on the right side
of the keycap).
Mode-Switch Input Method [Toc] [Back]
Keyboards for languages, such as Greek, Hebrew, and Russian,
support input of characters in two different alphabets
(English and native-language) without reloading a
keymap. On the alphabetic keys of these keyboards, characters
of the native-language alphabet are engraved on the
bottom right of the keycaps and characters in the English
alphabet are engraved on the top left of the keycaps.
On PC-style keyboards, press the right control key (Right
Ctrl) to toggle input mode between English and the native
language.
Dead-Key Input Method for Characters Missing From Keyboard [Toc] [Back]
Some languages supported by ISO Latin character sets have
alphabets that contain so many characters that they cannot
all be engraved on the keycaps of the main keypad. The
missing characters are most often glyphs composed of a
base Latin letter and a top or bottom accent (diacritical)
mark. The keyboards for these languages support the deadkey
input method to enter the additional characters. The
term "dead" means that certain characters, usually the
diacritical marks, are defined to be nonspacing characters.
The dead-key input method consists of typing a two-stroke
sequence (pressing and releasing the key for the nonspacing
diacritical mark and then pressing and releasing the
the key for the base character) to send the corresponding
"accented" character. Typing a space as the base character
sends the code for the spacing diacritical mark (the diacritical
mark by itself).
Keys defined as nonspacing diacritical characters do not
send the character code immediately (do not echo), but
instead modify the code of the character entered next. The
modified character code is sent only if the diacritical
and following character can be combined to form a valid
character in the character set supported by the keyboard.
If the key combination does not result in a valid character,
no character is sent. In addition, an audible warning
sounds if the ``bell'' is enabled for your keyboard.
The following table specifies diacritical characters
defined as nonspacing for use with the dead-key input
method on VT-style keyboards.
+--------------------------------------------
| Nonspacing Diacritical Characters
+--------------------------------------------
| C D D
| i D o b
| C c i t l
| e u a M O
| A B C d m r A A G a g R T
T
| c r a i f e b c r c o r i
o -------------------+ u e r l l s o u a r n i
l n
VT Style | t v o l e i v t v o e n d
o
Keyboard for: | e e n a x s e e e n k g e
s
-------------------+--------------------------------------------
Belgian French * * * *
Czech * * * Flemish
* * * * French
* * * * French Canadian
* * * German * *
* * * * * Greek *
* * Hungarian
* * * Lithuanian
* * Polish
* * Portuguese * *
* * Slovak * * *
* Spanish * * * *
* Swiss French * * *
* Swiss German * * *
*
----------------------------------------------------------------
The following table specifies the diacritical marks
defined as nonspacing for use with the dead-key input
method on PC-style keyboards.
+------------------------------------------
| C D D
| i D o b
| C c i t l
| e u a M O
| A B C d m r A A G a g R T
T
| c r a i f e b c r c o r i
o -------------------+ u e r l l s o u a r n i
l n
PC Style | t v o l e i v t v o e n d
o
Keyboard for: | e e n a x s e e e n k g e
s
-------------------+-------------------------------------------
Belgian French * * * * *
Czech * * * * * * * Danish
* * * * * Dutch
* * * * * * Finnish
* * * * * French
* * French Canadian * * * * * German
* * * Greek *
* * Hungarian * * * *
* * * * * * * * Lithuanian
* * Norwegian * * *
* * Polish * * * * * * *
* * Portuguese * * * *
* Serb/Croat/Slovene * * * Slovak
* * * * Spanish *
* * * Swedish * * *
* * Swiss French * * *
* * Swiss German * * *
* * Turkish F
* Turkish Q *
---------------------------------------------------------------
Note
The number of nonspacing diacritical characters defined
for the keyboard may vary from those shown in the tables,
depending on the type and generation of the keyboard.
Keyboards for languages not shown in the tables do not
define diacritical marks as nonspacing and therefore do
not support the dead-key input method.
Compose-Character Input Method for Characters Missing From
Keyboard
In addition to or in place of the dead-key input method,
your keyboard may support the compose-character, or multikey,
input method. Like the dead-key input method, the
compose-character input method allows you to enter characters
that are not present on your keyboard. You can enter
the full range of characters supported by the keyboard
character set, which encompasses more characters than
those in a particular native language.
The compose-key input method consists of the following two
steps: Press and release the key defined as the multikey
for your keyboard. The keycap for this key is often
engraved with Compose. Enter the two-character pair that
composes the resulting character. You can type these
characters in any sequence (with a few exceptions). Do not
hold down the keys simultaneously.
Use the following keys for this input method: On VT-style
keyboards, press and release the Compose key on the right
side of the main keypad (Right Compose)
You can use the Compose key on either side of the
keyboard for American English and Portuguese. For
these languages, the Left Compose key has not been
redefined to perform another function. On PC-style
keyboards, hold down the alternate-function key on
the left side of the main keypad while pressing the
space bar (Left Alt+Space)
The Left Alt+Space key sequence conflicts with the
key sequence used to open a menu on an active window.
If you are using a PC -style keyboard in the
CDE environment and do not need to use the composecharacter
input method, you can redefine this key
sequence to open menus in the following way:
Edit the file /usr/i18n/dt/config/locale/sys.dtwmrc
and remove the comment character (#) from the
beginning of the following line:
# Alt<Key>space icon|window
f.post_wmenu Restart the Workspace Manager
If, after entering compose-character mode, you type a
character pair that is invalid, no character code is sent.
In addition, an audible warning sounds if the ``bell'' is
enabled for your keyboard.
The compose-character input method requires three to four
keystrokes to enter a character whereas the dead-key input
method requires two to three keystrokes. If your keyboard
supports both input methods for entry of a particular
character, the dead-key input method is more efficient.
Compose-character sequences and their resulting characters
vary according to the coded character set (codeset) that
supports your keyboard and language. See the appropriate
codeset reference page (iso8859-1(5), for example) for the
compose-character sequences you can use.
Directory containing data and keymaps in xkb format Directory
containing keymaps in xmodmap format
keyboard(5)
[ Back ] |
