Feature request: Xvesa compiled with xkb support

[peterc]

So unless my google-foo is weak and I've missed something obvious entirely, there doesn't seem to be any way to switch keyboard layouts without installing Xorg. However, there is apparently a patch for Xvesa so that xkb can be used (if the setxkbmap utility from Xorg is included). What are the chances that this could be applied?

Below are some notes that I've found while looking into the issue; hope they help:
There is a way to compile Kdrive Xvesa with xkb support so keyboard layout switching may be configured via setxkbmap as described here: http://lists.hellug.gr/pipermail/rule-list/2003/002759.html

А patch to compile KDrive Xvesa with xkb support; --enable-xkb and --enable-xinput compile flags must be used:
http://osdir.com/ml/freedesktop.xserver.cvs/2004-07/msg00080.html

Guys from Puppyrus Linux team managed to set up ru/en keyboard switching in KDrive Xvesa with /usr/local/apps/XkbConfigurationManager/XkbApplyNow script, it parses xorg.conf end executes xkb somehow:

http://forum.puppyrus.org/index.php?topic=251.msg2523 [Google translate link: http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fforum.puppyrus.org%2Findex.php%3Ftopic%3D251.msg2523&sl=ru&tl=en ]

[curaga]

It uses console keymaps, so any you apply from kmaps.tcz will work with Xvesa.

[peterc]

It uses console keymaps, so any you apply from kmaps.tcz will work with Xvesa.

Right, but does it allow you to switch between keymaps?

[curaga]

No, but Xorg does.

[peterc]

No, but Xorg does.

Hmm...thought so...but It would be nice to be able to keep XVesa as a faster, lighter option.

[curaga]

Note that if it's an absolute must to change keymaps while Xvesa is running, full xmodmap files (as output by xmodmap -pke) can be used. (xmodmap /path/to/map)

[peterc]

Note that if it's an absolute must to change keymaps while Xvesa is running, full xmodmap files (as output by xmodmap -pke) can be used. (xmodmap /path/to/map)

Ah, I didn't know that! Is it necessary to keep all of Xorg around, or can I just extract xmodmap and the keyboard map files and use them independently?

[curaga]

Neither, everything you need is already in the base (save for the keymaps to save, in kmaps.tcz).

[peterc]

Neither, everything you need is already in the base (save for the keymaps to save, in kmaps.tcz).

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense, but how would I use these to change the keymap? 'sudo loadkmaps <  /usr/share/kmap/ru.kmap' doesn't work (as has already been reported) and I haven't found any other alternative commands.

[curaga]

How do you mean? If done in the console, works for me.

I'm not familiar with these toggling keymaps, but looks like either ctrl+shift or altgr toggles between rus/lat in ru.kmap.

[peterc]

How do you mean? If done in the console, works for me.

I'm not familiar with these toggling keymaps, but looks like either ctrl+shift or altgr toggles between rus/lat in ru.kmap.

Ok, I see the problem; when I switched to fr.kmap, I got an azerty keyboard, which suggests that the problem is that the console doesn't have support for Cyrillic.

Still (to return to the original topic), it would be nice to have this in Xvesa, rather than have to switch to the console every time to switch the keymap.

[Jason W]

Xvesa builds that provide more features can be made as extensions.

[peterc]

Xvesa builds that provide more features can be made as extensions.

Great! Would I be too presumptuous to assume that one of those features is XKB support? I saw a suggestion somewhere that the patch had been incorporated, but don't know if that's true or not.

Also, in the source dir, I see both Xorg 7.1 and 7.4--if I were to build an extension that would work with out-of-the-box TC, which should I use?

[Jason W]

Xvesa in base has made from Xfree86-4.8.0.  As of Xorg 7.1, the Xvesa binary produced by Xorg was twice the size as the one in Xfree and required more dependencies.


looking at the source and patch it appears the patch was made for Xorg and not Xfree86.  There was an Xorg Xvesa in the repo from version 7.1, not sure if it had xkb support though.