Yay, I'm ready for an update again! :) Here goes then:
DREYMAR MAKES THE ERGONOMIC ANGLE+WIDE MOD WORK IN LINUX (for all layouts!):
The task at hand is to make the ergonomic mod a keycode/geometry definition rather than a symbolic layout one.
Doing so, we allow it to be selected as a keyboard model (based on the generic pc105 International keyboard).
Thus it becomes independent of which layout (QWERTY/Dvorak/Colemak etc) we've chosen which is nice!
This is especially important since I think it's a good idea to move the physical key caps around for this mod if you can.
The minor downsides to this are:
* For keyboard models that can't use the pc105 codes (like mac or sgi ones) you'll have to edit the relevant files
* The symbolic names of key codes no longer remain in an intuitive sequence (e.g., <AE12> is now left of <AE07>)
1) DEFINING THE NEW MOD AS A KEYBOARD MODEL
To make the system see our new keyboard definition, we need to add the following rules entry to two files, evdev and base:
[It used to be xorg.xml, but now that's usually just an alias. Evdev is the one in use by Debian-based Linux today.]
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml ==========
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.xml ===========
<model>
<configItem>
<name>pc105wide</name>
<description>Generic 105-key (Intl) PC WideErgoMod</description>
<vendor>Generic</vendor>
</configItem>
</model>
=======================================================
We also need to describe the keyboard model in evdev/base.lst:
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.lst ==========
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst ===========
pc105wide Generic 105-key (Intl) PC WideErgoMod
=======================================================
Now, the main evdev/base files (without .lst and .xml extensions) should've been recompiled based on these changes!
However, restarting my X Server (Ctrl+Alt+Back if you have that hotkey, or a system restart) didn't make that happen.
[I hear that from the console, you could remove '/tmp/.X0-lock' followed by a 'startx' command? I couldn't do that.]
Hence, we'll edit those files manually (because although you're warned not to do that, I didn't see another way).
2) DEFINING THE NEW KEYBOARD GEOMETRY (so that it shows up right in images)
This component, apparently, isn't used by the X.Org server itself but by any app which wants to show a keyboard image.
As such, it's not crucial for keyboard function but it should be taken care of to provide function and avoid confusion.
The geometry/pc file gets a new entry at the end:
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/geometry/pc ==============
// Addition to the /xkb/geometry/pc file:
// AngleWide ergonomic mod (by DreymaR, 2011)
xkb_geometry "pc105wide" {
description= "Generic 105 - WideErgoMod";
{NB: STICK IN A COPY OF THE PC(105) GEOMETRY HERE, THEN DELETE THE DESCRIPTION AND FINALLY
REPLACE THE ALPHA SECTION WITH THE ONE BELOW!!! It's a bit long to quote (I'll also have a proper patch file available)}
section "Alpha" {
top= 61;
row {
top= 1;
keys { <TLDE>, <AE01>, <AE02>, <AE03>, <AE04>,
<AE05>, <AE06>, <AE12>, <AE07>, <AE08>,
<AE09>, <AE10>, <AE11>,
{ <BKSP>, "BKSP", color="grey20" }
};
};
row {
top= 20;
keys { { <TAB>, "TABK", color="grey20" },
<AD01>, <AD02>, <AD03>, <AD04>, <AD05>,
<AD12>, <AD06>, <AD07>, <AD08>, <AD09>,
<AD10>, <AD11>, { <RTRN>, "RTRN", color="grey20" }
};
};
row {
top= 39;
keys { { <CAPS>, "CAPS", color="grey20" },
<AC01>, <AC02>, <AC03>, <AC04>, <AC05>,
<BKSL>, <AC06>, <AC07>, <AC08>, <AC09>,
<AC10>, <AC11>
};
};
row {
top= 58;
keys { { <LFSH>, "LFSH", color="grey20" },
<AB01>, <AB02>, <AB03>, <AB04>, <AB05>, <LSGT>,
<AB10>, <AB06>, <AB07>, <AB08>, <AB09>,
{ <RTSH>, "RTSH", color="grey20" }
};
};
row {
top= 77;
key.shape= "SMOD";
key.color= "grey20";
keys { { <LCTL>, "MODK" }, <LWIN>, <LALT>,
{ <SPCE>, "SPCE", color="white" },
<RALT>, <RWIN>, <MENU>, <RCTL>
};
};
}; // End of "Alpha" section
// Don't think I can get augment or include to work well with a Geometry component...
// augment "pc(pc105)"
// So instead, I've copy-pasted the whole pc105 def and just edited the Alpha section
}; // End of "pc105wide" geometry (by DreymaR 2011)
=======================================================
[I first tried include pc(pc105) but that was problematic and led to multiple definitions.
Augmenting may be safer, but I doubt that works well on a geometry file?
So the last resort is that the full pc(pc105) definition is copied over and the alpha section edited.]
So, after all this now we can see the right look in "Show layout" tools, but the keys still act like before!
3) DEFINING THE CHANGED KEYCODES (so that the keys actually move around)
The keycodes themselves are by default taken from evdev (default now?) or xfree86 (which links to "base").
If you're using some other keyboard model you'll have to build your own modded key codes for that model.
For instance, in the digital_vndr/pc and sgi_vndr/indy codes there are pc105 models with different codes!
In the base and evdev files you find entries like this one (which was under 'geometry'):
$pcmodels = pc(%m)
Thus, if pc105wide is listed as a pcmodel the geometry component will be in the pc file, entry pc105wide
So here's where I start my 'heretical' direct editing of the compiled rules files (CAVEAT EMPTOR):
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev ==============
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base ===============
========== Adding to "! $pcmodels = " =================
! $pcmodels = pc101 pc102 pc104 pc105 pc105wide
=======================================================
Not sure if we need $inetkbds (it lists "internet keyboards" that use special keys, I think) but here goes:
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev ==============
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base ===============
========== Under "! $inetkbds = " =====================
=======================================================
[The $inetkbds section used to have a line similar to the one in $pcmodels but it changed to this format]
In the evdev file under "! model = keycodes" only pc98 is listed and the value " * = evdev" is the default.
For the base file, similarly no pc models are mentioned and it ends with " * = xfree86".
Since our pc105wide model doesn't use standard xfree86/evdev codes we must introduce a new specific entry:
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev ==============
========== Under "! model = keycodes" ===============
pc105wide = evdev(pc105wide)
=======================================================
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base ===============
========== Under "! model = keycodes" ===============
pc105wide = xfree86(pc105wide)
=======================================================
The following two new entries in the keycodes.dir file list the pv105wide definitions.
This probably isn't necessary now! In newer files, the pc models aren't listed explicitly.
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes.dir =============
========== Under the relevant files ===================
-------- a------- evdev(pc105wide)
-------- a------- xfree86(pc105wide)
=======================================================
(The top line for each file has a letter 'd' in it; this means that that it the default for this file.
The letter 'a' means that it's an alphabetic definition.)
Now, at the end of the keycodes file itself add this:
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev ===========
// Addition to the /xkb/keycodes/evdev file:
// AngleWide ergonomic mod (by DreymaR, 2011)
xkb_keycodes "pc105wide" {
<AE12> = 16;
<AE07> = 17;
<AE08> = 18;
<AE09> = 19;
<AE10> = 20;
<AE11> = 21;
<AD12> = 29;
<AD06> = 30;
<AD07> = 31;
<AD08> = 32;
<AD09> = 33;
<AD10> = 34;
<AD11> = 35;
<BKSL> = 43;
alias <AC12> = <BKSL>;
<AC06> = 44;
<AC07> = 45;
<AC08> = 46;
<AC09> = 47;
<AC10> = 48;
<AC11> = 51;
<AB01> = 94;
<AB02> = 52;
<AB03> = 53;
<AB04> = 54;
<AB05> = 55;
<LSGT> = 56;
<AB10> = 57;
<AB06> = 58;
<AB07> = 59;
<AB08> = 60;
<AB09> = 61;
augment "evdev(evdev)"
};
=======================================================
I think that only evdev is strictly necessary, but the proper thing to do is to change xfree86 as well.
(I tried to point to the xfree86(pc105wide) definition in the evdev file using 'include', but then
the chain of includes or something broke so that the keyboard only got partially defined.)
If you include and then define, the xkbcomp will complain that you're defining the same variable twice.
Thus, the better way is to define your variables and then augment with the pc105-relevant component.
====== In /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/xfree86 =========
// Addition to the /xkb/keycodes/xfree86 file:
// AngleWide ergonomic mod (by DreymaR, 2011)
xkb_keycodes "pc105wide" {
<AE12> = 16;
<AE07> = 17;
<AE08> = 18;
<AE09> = 19;
<AE10> = 20;
<AE11> = 21;
<AD12> = 29;
<AD06> = 30;
<AD07> = 31;
<AD08> = 32;
<AD09> = 33;
<AD10> = 34;
<AD11> = 35;
<BKSL> = 43;
alias <AC12> = <BKSL>;
<AC06> = 44;
<AC07> = 45;
<AC08> = 46;
<AC09> = 47;
<AC10> = 48;
<AC11> = 51;
<AB01> = 94;
<AB02> = 52;
<AB03> = 53;
<AB04> = 54;
<AB05> = 55;
<LSGT> = 56;
<AB10> = 57;
<AB06> = 58;
<AB07> = 59;
<AB08> = 60;
<AB09> = 61;
augment "xfree86(basic)"
};
=======================================================
The default xfree86 pc105 definition is (xfree86) but that just includes (basic) adding <BKSL> and <LSGT>.
So I think it's smoother to work with the 'basic' component of xfree86 directly for pc105wide as well.
4) GETTING IT UP AND RUNNING
- I (and erw on the Colemak forum) found that changing layout files isn't enough; you also need to flush the "cache".
* Otherwise, I have seen keys lose repeat, the geometry images get weird and whatnot.
* So at this point, delete all the files in /var/lib/xkb/ (the X server makes new ones as necessary).
- Now restart the X Server (Ctrl+Alt+Backspace or a restart).
- You should now be able to select, view and use the "PC105 (Wide)" keyboard model with your preferred symbol layout!
- If troubleshooting is needed, the console command 'setxkbmap -print -verbose 8' may give you an idea what's going on.
