Personal XKB notes

Set the layout in xorg.conf

When AutoAddDevices is enabled, the classic InputDevice section with kbd driver no longer works. In order to set the layout in the config file, this kind of stanza is used:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier      "All keyboards"
        Option          "XkbModel"      "pc105"
        Option          "XkbLayout"     "fr"
        Option          "XkbVariant"    "basic"
        Option          "XkbOptions"    "altwin:left_meta_win,compose:menu"
EndSection

The list of options can be found in /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst. They usually have the structure function-to-map:actual-key-to-use. For example, compose:menu means to use the key with the “menu” pictogram (just on the left of the right control key) for the “compose” (Multi_key) function.

Display the layout

xkbcomp -xkm $input_options $DISPLAY - |
xkbprint -eps -color $print_and_layer_options - - |
convert -density 144 eps:- -background white -flatten -alpha off x:

The $input_options select exactly where xkbcomp goes to fetch the layout and geometry. The $print_and_layer_options are typesetting options (for example: use pictograms instead of names) and select what part of the layout to print (for example: show with “AltGr” pressed).

Several keyboards, different layouts (static)

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier      "Test USB keyboard"
	MatchUSBID      "0e6a:6001"
	Option          "XkbLayout"     "us"
	other options
EndSection

The InputClass section is documented in xorg.conf(5).

Several keyboards, different layouts (dynamic)

First, find the identifier of the different keyboards:

$ xinput
⎡ Virtual core pointer                          id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse           id=9    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ USBPS2                                    id=11   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ MCE IR Keyboard/Mouse (ite-cir)           id=12   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ HID Keyboard Device                       id=19   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                         id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard               id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ USBPS2                                    id=10   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ ITE8713 CIR transceiver                   id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ HID Keyboard Device                       id=14   [slave  keyboard (3)]