I shot a UNIX keyboard on ebay.
Of course, it “just works” when you plug it in. However, I want it to work properly, that is, the special keys on the left should show their labels when assigning them e.g. in gnome-keybinding-properties. To do that, it is apparently necessary to edit the xkb rules & xml files which are found in /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules on my distribution.
There is a “Sun Type 5/6” Layout available in gnome-keyboard-properties, but it mysteriously renders the BackSpace key unusuable — this might be a particular bug of my installation, any hints appreciated. (has apparently been fixed in this commit, which probably means fixed in xkeyboard-config 1.8)
Update; the old solution provided problematic (it has been hidden below.) Here is the new approach:
Fix the BackSpace key with this patch:
--- a/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/us 2010-06-16 20:39:59.937546375 +0200
+++ b/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/us 2010-06-15 00:56:22.547604150 +0200
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ xkb_symbols "sunbasic" {
include "inet(evdev)"
include "us(basic)"
+ // these keys are common to all layouts
+ key <BKSP> { [ BackSpace ] };
include "pc(function)"
include "pc(editing)"
include "keypad(x11)"
Fix the “too old” AltGr mapping (XOrg changed it from Mode_switch to ISO_Level3_Shift, which is defined in the level3 symbols:)
--- a/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/us 2010-06-16 20:39:59.937546375 +0200
+++ b/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/us 2010-06-15 00:56:22.547604150 +0200
@@ -74,7 +76,8 @@ xkb_symbols "sunbasic" {
key <LFSH> { [ Shift_L ] };
key <RTSH> { [ Shift_R ] };
key <LALT> { [ Alt_L ] };
- key <ALGR> { [ Mode_switch ] };
+// key <ALGR> { [ Mode_switch ] };
+ include "level3(ralt_switch)"
key <LMTA> { [ Meta_L ] };
key <RMTA> { [ Meta_R ] };
key <LCTL> { [ Control_L ] };
Shuffle the modifier maps:
--- a/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/us 2010-06-16 20:39:59.937546375 +0200
+++ b/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/sun_vndr/us 2010-06-15 00:56:22.547604150 +0200
@@ -116,9 +119,9 @@ xkb_symbols "sunbasic" {
modifier_map Control { Control_L, Control_R };
modifier_map Shift { Shift_R, Shift_L };
modifier_map Mod1 { Meta_L, Meta_R };
- modifier_map Mod2 { Mode_switch };
- modifier_map Mod3 { Num_Lock };
- modifier_map Mod4 { Alt_L };
+// modifier_map Mod2 { Mode_switch };
+ modifier_map Mod2 { Num_Lock };
+ modifier_map Mod3 { Alt_L };
};
hidden
Gnome wants its so-called “<Alt>”-binding on Mod1. I put the ♦Meta-keys there, because they’re in the right place. It further requires Mod2 to be Num_Lock, otherwise it is not happy and a lot of modifier keys stop working when Num_Lock is enabled. (Only the Mod2 is ignored when calculating the overlaps.) The former Mode_switch is mapped to Mod5 by the include above.
With this configuration, the following is now an useful addition to your .Xresources:
xterm*metaSendsEscape: true
xterm*altIsNotMeta: true
xterm*altSendsEscape: false
That way, Alt can be used to generate “Alternate keys” and ♦Meta works for key movement.
(X)Emacs on the other hand wants all kinds of “Meta” to be on one modifier, and (optionally) all kinds of “Alt” on the same, or another. My previous setup was causing one Meta key and the Alt key mapped to Mod1, and another one to Mod4. With the modifier mappings above, Meta correctly generates M- and Alt — generates A- (Super, aka Win-key, would get interpreted as S- in XEmacs.)
I suspect since I have not bound any <Super> keys, Gnome-Do is now confused and launches on a simple press of the Space-bar! Makes you unable to types spaces. I don’t know how to fix this. Trying to assign Alt+space as the Summon Key fails — it only displays “space”… since I don’t use Gnome-Do anyway, I removed it for now using gnome-session-properties.
I wanted to add the UNIX layout to the keyboard image display in the Gnome keyboard properties, so I made a new layout in the rules directory:
1. Added a new model to base.xml:
<model>
<configItem>
<name>sun_unix</name>
<description>Sun Type USB UNIX Layout</description>
<vendor>Sun Microsystems</vendor>
</configItem>
</model>
2. Do the same for base.lst
! model
sun_unix Sun Type USB UNIX Layout
3. Add rules to base that set the desired options, on the way also fixing the missing geometry for the type6 and euro keyboard:
! model = keycodes
sun_unix = sun(type6_usb)
! model = geometry
sun6 = sun(type6)
sun_unix = sun(type6unix)
sun6euro = sun(type6tuv)
! model layout = symbols
sun_unix us = sun_vndr/us(type6)
sun_unix * = sun_vndr/us(type6)+%l%(v)
Fix a bug in the rules that manifests when you use more than keyboard layout — because of the missing rules, the “pc” symbols are added, causing havok in the modifier mappings
! model layout[1] = symbols
sun6 * = sun_vndr/us(type6)+%l[1]%(v[1])
sun_unix * = sun_vndr/us(type6)+%l[1]%(v[1])
sun6euro * = sun_vndr/us(type6)+%l[1]%(v[1])
Modify the ctrl:nocaps rule to make CapsLock an additional right Control (the default key for example in VirtualBox) with this patch: (optional)
--- a/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/ctrl 2010-06-16 20:39:59.922548680 +0200
+++ b/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/ctrl 2010-06-14 22:21:41.482666941 +0200
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
// eliminate the caps lock key completely (replace with control)
partial modifier_keys
xkb_symbols "nocaps" {
- replace key <CAPS> { [ Control_L, Control_L ] };
+// replace key <CAPS> { [ Control_L, Control_L ] };
+ replace key <CAPS> { [ Control_R ] };
modifier_map Control { <CAPS>, <LCTL> };
};
Fix the geometry (caps and control are swapped):
--- a/usr/share/X11/xkb/geometry/sun 2010-06-16 20:39:59.910515296 +0200
+++ b/usr/share/X11/xkb/geometry/sun 2010-06-14 22:29:08.208691859 +0200
@@ -2885,7 +2885,7 @@ xkb_geometry "t6unix" {
};
row {
top= 39;
- keys { <FRNT>, <COPY>, { <CAPS>, 9, shape="CAPS" },
+ keys { <FRNT>, <COPY>, { <LCTL>, 9, shape="LCTL" },
<AC01>, <AC02>, <AC03>, <AC04>, <AC05>,
<AC06>, <AC07>, <AC08>, <AC09>, <AC10>,
<AC11>,
@@ -2902,7 +2902,7 @@ xkb_geometry "t6unix" {
};
row {
top= 77;
- keys { <FIND>, <CUT>, { <LCTL>, 9, shape="LCTL" },
+ keys { <FIND>, <CUT>, { <CAPS>, 9, shape="CAPS" },
<LALT>, {<LMTA>, "LMTA"},
{ <SPCE>, "SPCE" },
{<RMTA>, "RMTA"}, <COMP>, <ALGR>
Other problems
Unfortunately, I cannot get the Compose LED to light up.
Gnome doesn’t accept the SunFront keybinding to bring windows to the front — what’s up with that?? It works when I just assign it, but stops working on next login. As a workaround, I could get it to work by setting /apps/metacity/window_keybindings/raise_or_lower to the magical value 0x8c in gconf-editor
It is not neccessary to choose any options in the gnome-keyboard-properties.
