xmodmap with inputs

[niklasfyi]

• Sway Version: sway version 1.1-rc1-38-g3f77591b (Jun 11 2019, branch 'master')

I was using a script in i3 to set my us key layout to use German "umlaut" (ä, ö, ü and ß).

setxkbmap -layout us -variant altgr-intl -option caps:none
xmodmap -e 'keycode  66 = Mode_switch'
xmodmap -e 'keycode  26 = e E EuroSign cent'
xmodmap -e 'keycode  30 = u U udiaeresis Udiaeresis'
xmodmap -e 'keycode  32 = o O odiaeresis Odiaeresis'
xmodmap -e 'keycode  38 = a A adiaeresis Adiaeresis'
xmodmap -e 'keycode  39 = s S ssharp'

Is it possible to do this with inputs?

[RedSoxFan]

You'll have to use a custom layout.

Save the following to $HOME/.xkb/symbols/us-german-umlaut

default partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {
	include "us(altgr-intl)"
	include "level3(caps_switch)"
	name[Group1] = "English (US, international with German umlaut)";
	key <AD03> { [ e, E, EuroSign, cent ] };
	key <AD07> { [ u, U, udiaeresis, Udiaeresis ] };
	key <AD09> { [ o, O, odiaeresis, Odiaeresis ] };
	key <AC01> { [ a, A, adiaeresis, Adiaeresis ] };
	key <AC02> { [ s, S, ssharp ] };
};

Then in your sway config, you can use input <identifier> xkb_layout us-german-umlaut. You can use swaymsg -t get_inputs to find the identifier for the keyboard. Alternatively, using * (wildcard for all devices) or type:keyboard (wildcard for all keyboards) in place of the identifier would also work

[niklasfyi]

Thank you SO much! Works as expected

[rianhunter]

@RedSoxFan Have a similar issue but it's not clear how to convert a set of xmodmap commands to a layout file. Could you provide some brief guidance or link to a guide on how to create these layout files?

edit: I was able to solve my issue (making the "PrtSc" key map to Win) by using:

input * xkb_options altwin:prtsc_win

In general you want to stay away from writing custom xkb files unless absolutely necessary. Take a look at /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.lst to see if the customization you want exists as a xkb variant or option. More information here https://www.x.org/releases/current/doc/xorg-docs/input/XKB-Config.html

[tmccombs]

Could you provide some brief guidance or link to a guide on how to create these layout files?

Maybe put a link to some documentation on this in wiki and/or FAQ

[busywhistling]

 key <AD03> { [ e, E, EuroSign, cent ] };
 key <AD07> { [ u, U, udiaeresis, Udiaeresis ] };

@RedSoxFan Could you let me know how to remap the 'r' key to get the ₹ (Indian Rupee) symbol in a similar fashion? Or point me to the right resource? Thanks.

[RedSoxFan]

@paramjit1
You can find the appropriate symbols here (or locally in /usr/share/X11/keysymdef.h) - just drop the XK_ prefix.

As for the key portion, the graphic at https://www.charvolant.org/doug/xkb/html/img3.png appears to be a good resource for that.

[TheChymera]

@RedSoxFan I tried to implement what you have suggested in order to remap AltGr+- to give me an em dash (on a swiss german keyboard layout).

In my sway config I have this relevant snippet:

input type:keyboard {
        xkb_layout ch
        xkb_options ch_emdash
}

And this is my xkb file under .xkb/symbols/ch_emdash:

default partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {
	name[Group1] = "German (CH, international with German umlaut)";
	key <AB11> { [ minus, underscore, emdash ] };
};

This doesn't seem to be doing anything. AltGr+- still gives me a dot underneath the next character (ụ) or a dot under the previous character if I press it twice (̣). If I press AlrGr+- and the - I get an em dash, sadly one with a dot underneath it (⨪), as I would do anyway. Any idea what I can do?

including the rest of the example code:

	include "us(altgr-intl)"
	include "level3(caps_switch)"

also does nothing.

[TheChymera]

It worked with:

input type:keyboard {
        xkb_layout ch_emdash
}

in the sway config, and with:

default partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {
        include "ch"
        name[Group1] = "German (CH, international with German umlaut)";
        key <AB10> { [ minus, underscore, endash, emdash ] };
};

in ~/.xkb/symbols/ch_emdash.

[isti115]

I am trying to recreate a mapping (that was previously done through xmodmap), which assigns the extra function keys that I have programmed onto my keyboard to Hungarian accents. The shift level works on every key, but the regular level only works on two of them (19 and 24). I have found that those are the ones that already have some XF86 mappings in the default symbols layouts. Can I somehow override those? I even tried replace key but that doesn't seem to do anything useful, and I couldn't really find any documentation on it.

default partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "basic" {

  include "us(basic)"
    
  name[Group1]= "English (US, HU accents with f keys)";

  replace key <FK14> { [ odoubleacute , Odoubleacute ] };
  replace key <FK15> { [ oacute       , Oacute       ] };
  replace key <FK16> { [ uacute       , Uacute       ] };
  replace key <FK17> { [ udoubleacute , Udoubleacute ] };
  replace key <FK19> { [ odiaeresis   , Odiaeresis   ] };
  replace key <FK20> { [ eacute       , Eacute       ] };
  replace key <FK21> { [ aacute       , Aacute       ] };
  replace key <FK22> { [ udiaeresis   , Udiaeresis   ] };
  replace key <FK24> { [ iacute       , Iacute       ] };

};

[isti115]

After searching around some more and quite a bit of trial and error I have figured out that inet(evdev) takes precedence, because by default it is listed after my own symbols in an xkb_layout, but by using a complete layout file as made possible by @edyounis in #3999 I was finally able to switch the order and override them to get the desired results without modifying the system files!