I want to copy a keyboard layout in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/
and change it and then produce a new layout from it.
How can I add a new keyboard layout (named e.g. "mylayout")?
Update #1:
Files I changed to add a new layout:
/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/irwinxp
(originally the same asir
):// Iranian keyboard layout //////////////////////////////////////// // Persian layout, // based on // Information Technology – Layout of Persian Letters and Symbols on Computer Keyboards // ISIRI 9147 – 1st Edition // Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran // http://www.isiri.org/UserStd/DownloadStd.aspx?id=9147 // http://behnam.esfahbod.info/standards/isiri-keyboard-9147.pdf // // Author: Behnam Esfahbod <[email protected]> // default partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "pes" { name[Group1]= "Persian"; include "ir(pes_part_basic)" include "ir(pes_part_ext)" include "nbsp(zwnj2nb3nnb4)" include "level3(ralt_switch)" }; partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "pes_keypad" { name[Group1]= "Persian (with Persian Keypad)"; include "ir(pes_part_basic)" include "ir(pes_part_keypad)" include "nbsp(zwnj2nb3nnb4)" include "level3(ralt_switch)" }; partial hidden alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "pes_part_basic" { // Persian digits key <AE01> { [ Farsi_1, exclam, grave ] }; key <AE02> { [ Farsi_2, 0x100066c, at ] }; key <AE03> { [ Farsi_3, 0x100066b, numbersign ] }; key <AE04> { [ Farsi_4, 0x100fdfc, dollar ] }; key <AE05> { [ Farsi_5, 0x100066a, percent ] }; key <AE06> { [ Farsi_6, multiply, asciicircum ] }; key <AE07> { [ Farsi_7, Arabic_comma, ampersand ] }; key <AE08> { [ Farsi_8, asterisk, enfilledcircbullet ] }; key <AE09> { [ Farsi_9, parenright, 0x100200e ] }; key <AE10> { [ Farsi_0, parenleft, 0x100200f ] }; // Persian letters and symbols key <AD01> { [ Arabic_dad, Arabic_fathatan, degree ] }; // 2: Arabic_sukun key <AD02> { [ Arabic_sad, Arabic_dammatan, VoidSymbol ] }; // 2: Arabic_dammatan key <AD03> { [ Arabic_theh, Arabic_kasratan, 0x13a4 ] }; // 2: Arabic_kasratan key <AD04> { [ Arabic_qaf, Arabic_fathatan, VoidSymbol ] }; key <AD05> { [ Arabic_feh, Arabic_comma, VoidSymbol ] }; // 2: Arabic_damma key <AD06> { [ Arabic_ghain, Arabic_semicolon, VoidSymbol ] }; // 2: Arabic_kasra key <AD07> { [ Arabic_ain, Arabic_fatha, VoidSymbol ] }; key <AD08> { [ Arabic_heh, Arabic_hamza_above, 0x100202d ] }; // 2: Arabic_shadda key <AD09> { [ Arabic_khah, bracketright, 0x100202e ] }; key <AD10> { [ Arabic_hah, bracketleft, 0x100202c ] }; key <AD11> { [ Arabic_jeem, braceright, 0x100202a ] }; key <AD12> { [ Arabic_tcheh, braceleft, 0x100202b ] }; key <AC01> { [ Arabic_sheen, Arabic_fatha, VoidSymbol ] }; // 2: Arabic_hamzaonwaw key <AC02> { [ Arabic_seen, Arabic_damma, VoidSymbol ] }; // 2: Arabic_hamzaonyeh key <AC03> { [ Farsi_yeh, Arabic_kasra, Arabic_alefmaksura ] }; // 2: Arabic_yeh key <AC04> { [ Arabic_beh, Arabic_shadda, VoidSymbol ] }; // 1: Arabic_hamzaunderalef key <AC05> { [ Arabic_lam, 0x10006c0, VoidSymbol ] };// 2: Arabic_hamzaonalef key <AC06> { [ Arabic_alef, Arabic_maddaonalef, 0x1000671 ] }; key <AC07> { [ Arabic_teh, Arabic_tehmarbuta, VoidSymbol ] }; key <AC08> { [ Arabic_noon, guillemotright, 0x100fd3e ] }; key <AC09> { [ Arabic_meem, guillemotleft, 0x100fd3f ] }; key <AC10> { [ Arabic_keheh, colon, semicolon ] }; key <AC11> { [ Arabic_gaf, quotedbl, quotedbl ] }; // 2: Arabic_semicolon key <AB01> { [ Arabic_zah, Arabic_kaf, VoidSymbol ] }; key <AB02> { [ Arabic_tah, 0x1000653, VoidSymbol ] }; key <AB03> { [ Arabic_zain, Arabic_jeh, VoidSymbol ] }; key <AB04> { [ Arabic_ra, Arabic_hamzaonwaw ,0x1000656 ] }; // 2: Arabic_superscript_alef ٰ key <AB05> { [ Arabic_thal, 0x100200c, 0x100200d ] }; key <AB06> { [ Arabic_dal, Arabic_hamza_above, Arabic_hamza_below ] }; key <AB07> { [ Arabic_hamzaonyeh, Arabic_hamza, ellipsis ] }; // 1: Arabic_peh key <AB08> { [ Arabic_waw, greater, comma ] }; key <AB09> { [ period, less, apostrophe ] }; key <AB10> { [ slash, Arabic_question_mark, question ] }; key <TLDE> { [ 0x100200d, division, asciitilde ] }; key <AE11> { [ minus, Arabic_tatweel, underscore ] }; key <AE12> { [ equal, plus, 0x1002212 ] }; key <BKSL> { [ Arabic_peh, bar, 0x1002010 ] }; // 1: backslash }; partial hidden alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "pes_part_ext" { // Persian and ASCII digits key <AE01> { [ 0x10006f1, exclam, grave, 1 ] }; key <AE02> { [ 0x10006f2, 0x100066c, at, 2 ] }; key <AE03> { [ 0x10006f3, 0x100066b, numbersign, 3 ] }; key <AE04> { [ 0x10006f4, 0x100fdfc, dollar, 4 ] }; key <AE05> { [ 0x10006f5, 0x100066a, percent, 5 ] }; key <AE06> { [ 0x10006f6, multiply, asciicircum, 6 ] }; key <AE07> { [ 0x10006f7, Arabic_comma, ampersand, 7 ] }; key <AE08> { [ 0x10006f8, asterisk, enfilledcircbullet, 8 ] }; key <AE09> { [ 0x10006f9, parenright, 0x100200e, 9 ] }; key <AE10> { [ 0x10006f0, parenleft, 0x100200f, 0 ] }; }; partial hidden alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "pes_part_keypad" { // Persian digits and Mathematical operators key <KPDV> { [ division, XF86_Ungrab ] }; key <KPMU> { [ multiply, XF86_ClearGrab ] }; key <KPSU> { [ 0x1002212, XF86_Prev_VMode ] }; key <KPAD> { [ plus, XF86_Next_VMode ] }; key <KPEN> { [ KP_Enter ] }; key <KPEQ> { [ equal ] }; key <KP7> { [ KP_Home, 0x10006f7 ] }; key <KP8> { [ KP_Up, 0x10006f8 ] }; key <KP9> { [ KP_Prior, 0x10006f9 ] }; key <KP4> { [ KP_Left, 0x10006f4 ] }; key <KP5> { [ KP_Begin, 0x10006f5 ] }; key <KP6> { [ KP_Right, 0x10006f6 ] }; key <KP1> { [ KP_End, 0x10006f1 ] }; key <KP2> { [ KP_Down, 0x10006f2 ] }; key <KP3> { [ KP_Next, 0x10006f3 ] }; key <KP0> { [ KP_Insert, 0x10006f0 ] }; key <KPDL> { [ KP_Delete, 0x100066b ] }; }; //////////////////////////////////////// // Kurdish Layout partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "ku" { include "tr(ku)" name[Group1]= "Kurdish (Iran, Latin Q)"; }; partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "ku_f" { include "tr(ku_f)" name[Group1]= "Kurdish (Iran, F)"; }; partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "ku_alt" { include "tr(ku_alt)" name[Group1]= "Kurdish (Iran, Latin Alt-Q)"; }; //////////////////////////////////////// // Kurdish Soranî Bahdînî (Arabic) keyboard layout, // based on the Kurdî Soranî Bahdînî keyboard from KurdITGroup // which is based on National Iranian Keyboard Standard (ISIRI 2901:1994), // with additions. // // Copyright (C) 2006 Erdal Ronahî, published under the GPL v2 // // Special copyright note: author explicitly permitted to license this // layout under MIT/X11 license, for details see // https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=9541 // // Author: Erdal Ronahî <[email protected]> // // Kurdish Arabic-Latin Layout for Soranî partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "ku_ara" { name[Group1]= "Kurdish (Iran, Arabic-Latin)"; // Other 3-Level symbols key <TLDE> { [ 0x100200d, division, asciitilde ] }; key <BKSL> { [ backslash, bar, ccedilla, Ccedilla ] }; // Digits key <AE01> { [ 1, exclam, 0x10006f1, grave ] }; key <AE02> { [ 2, at, 0x10006f2, at ] }; key <AE03> { [ 3, numbersign, 0x10006f3, 0x100066b ] }; key <AE04> { [ 4, dollar, 0x10006f4, 0x100fdfc ] }; key <AE05> { [ 5, percent, 0x10006f5, 0x100066a ] }; key <AE06> { [ 6, asciicircum, 0x10006f6, multiply ] }; key <AE07> { [ 7, ampersand, 0x10006f7, Arabic_comma ] }; key <AE08> { [ 8, asterisk, 0x10006f8, enfilledcircbullet ] }; key <AE09> { [ 9, parenright, 0x10006f9, 0x100200e ] }; key <AE10> { [ 0, parenleft, 0x10006f0, 0x100200f ] }; key <AE11> { [ minus, Arabic_tatweel, underscore ] }; key <AE12> { [ equal, plus, 0x1002212 ] }; key <AD01> { [ Arabic_qaf, X, q, Q ] }; key <AD02> { [ Arabic_waw, X, w, W ] }; key <AD03> { [ 0x10006d5, Arabic_heh, e, E ] }; key <AD04> { [ Arabic_ra , 0x1000695, r, R ] }; key <AD05> { [ Arabic_teh, Arabic_tah, t, T ] }; key <AD06> { [ 0x10006cc, 0x10006ce, y, Y ] }; key <AD07> { [ Arabic_hamzaonyeh, Arabic_hamza, u, U ] }; key <AD08> { [ Arabic_hah, Arabic_ain, i, I ] }; key <AD09> { [ 0x10006c6, Arabic_hamzaonwaw, o, O ] }; key <AD10> { [ 0x100067e, Arabic_theh, p, P ] }; key <AD11> { [ bracketright, braceright, ucircumflex, Ucircumflex ] }; key <AD12> { [ bracketleft, braceleft, scedilla, Scedilla ] }; key <AC01> { [ Arabic_alef, Arabic_maddaonalef, a, A ] }; key <AC02> { [ Arabic_seen, Arabic_sheen, s, S ] }; key <AC03> { [ Arabic_dal, Arabic_thal, d, D ] }; key <AC04> { [ Arabic_feh, Arabic_hamzaunderalef, f, F ] }; key <AC05> { [ 0x10006af, Arabic_ghain, g, G ] }; key <AC06> { [ Arabic_heh, 0x100200c, h, H ] }; key <AC07> { [ 0x1000698, Arabic_hamzaonalef, j, J ] }; key <AC08> { [ 0x10006a9, Arabic_kaf, k, K ] }; key <AC09> { [ Arabic_lam, 0x10006b5, l, L ] }; key <AC10> { [ Arabic_semicolon, colon, ecircumflex, Ecircumflex ] }; key <AC11> { [ apostrophe, quotedbl, icircumflex, Icircumflex ] }; key <AB01> { [ Arabic_zain, Arabic_dad, z, Z ] }; key <AB02> { [ Arabic_khah, Arabic_sad, x, X ] }; key <AB03> { [ Arabic_jeem, 0x1000686, c, C ] }; key <AB04> { [ 0x10006a4, Arabic_zah, v, V ] }; key <AB05> { [ Arabic_beh, 0x1000649, b, B ] }; key <AB06> { [ Arabic_noon, Arabic_tehmarbuta, n, N ] }; key <AB07> { [ Arabic_meem, Arabic_tatweel, m, M ] }; key <AB08> { [ Arabic_comma, greater, comma ] }; key <AB09> { [ period, less, apostrophe ] }; key <AB10> { [ slash, Arabic_question_mark, question ] }; include "nbsp(zwnj2nb3)" include "level3(ralt_switch)" }; // EXTRAS: ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // Generated keyboard layout file with the Keyboard Layout Editor. // For more about the software, see http://code.google.com/p/keyboardlayouteditor // // Version 0.2, fixed AD09. // // Layout by Ernst Tremel, http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=9365469&postcount=32 // Creation of this file by Simos Xenitellis. partial alphanumeric_keys xkb_symbols "ave" { name[Group1] = "Avestan"; key <AB01> { [ U10B30, U10B32 ] }; // ? ? key <AB02> { [ U10B11, U10B12 ] }; // ? ? key <AB03> { [ U10B17, UE102 ] }; // ? key <AB04> { [ U10B2C, U10B13 ] }; // ? ? key <AB05> { [ U10B20, U10B21 ] }; // ? ? key <AB06> { [ U10B25, U10B27 ] }; // ? ? key <AB07> { [ U10B28, U10B29 ] }; // ? ? key <AB08> { [ U10B3C, U10B39 ] }; // ? ? key <AB09> { [ U10B3E, U10B3D ] }; // ? ? key <AB10> { [ U10B3F, periodcentered ] }; // ? · key <AC01> { [ U10B00, U10B01 ] }; // ? ? key <AC02> { [ U10B2F, U10B31 ] }; // ? ? key <AC03> { [ U10B1B, U10B1C ] }; // ? ? key <AC04> { [ U10B1F, U10B16 ] }; // ? ? key <AC05> { [ U10B14, U10B15 ] }; // ? ? key <AC06> { [ U10B35, UE100 ] }; // ? key <AC07> { [ U10B18, U10B24 ] }; // ? ? key <AC08> { [ U10B10, UE101 ] }; // ? key <AC09> { [ U10B2E, UE103 ] }; // ? key <AC10> { [ U10B3B, U10B3A ] }; // ? ? key <AC11> { [ U10B1D ] }; // ? key <AD01> { [ U10B22, U10B23 ] }; // ? ? key <AD02> { [ U10B33, U10B34 ] }; // ? ? key <AD03> { [ U10B08, U10B09 ] }; // ? ? key <AD04> { [ U10B2D, U10B26 ] }; // ? ? key <AD05> { [ U10B19, U10B1A ] }; // ? ? key <AD06> { [ U10B2B, U10B2A ] }; // ? ? key <AD07> { [ U10B0E, U10B0F ] }; // ? ? key <AD08> { [ U10B0C, U10B0D ] }; // ? ? key <AD09> { [ U10B0A, U10B0B ] }; // ? ? key <AD10> { [ U10B1E ] }; // ? key <AD11> { [ U10B06, U10B07 ] }; // ? ? key <AD12> { [ U10B02, U10B03 ] }; // ? ? key <AE01> { [ U10B78 ] }; // ? key <AE02> { [ U10B79 ] }; // ? key <AE03> { [ U10B7A ] }; // ? key <AE04> { [ U10B7B ] }; // ? key <AE05> { [ U10B7C ] }; // ? key <AE06> { [ U10B7D ] }; // ? key <AE07> { [ U10B7E ] }; // ? key <AE08> { [ U10B7F ] }; // ? key <BKSL> { [ U10B04, U10B05 ] }; // ? ? key <LSGT> { [ U10B04, U10B05 ] }; // ? ? };
Part of
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml
containing all modifications:... <layout> <configItem> <name>ir</name> <shortDescription>fa</shortDescription> <description>Persian</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>per</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> <variantList> <variant> <configItem> <name>pes_keypad</name> <description>Persian (with Persian Keypad)</description> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, Latin Q)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku_f</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, F)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku_alt</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, Latin Alt-Q)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku_ara</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, Arabic-Latin)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> </variantList> </layout> <layout> <configItem> <name>irwinxp</name> <shortDescription>fa</shortDescription> <description>Persian-WinXP</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>per</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> <variantList> <variant> <configItem> <name>pes_keypad</name> <description>Persian (with Persian Keypad)</description> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, Latin Q)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku_f</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, F)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku_alt</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, Latin Alt-Q)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> <variant> <configItem> <name>ku_ara</name> <shortDescription>ku</shortDescription> <description>Kurdish (Iran, Arabic-Latin)</description> <languageList> <iso639Id>kur</iso639Id> </languageList> </configItem> </variant> </variantList> </layout> <layout> <configItem> <name>iq</name> ...
But now, with these changes the new Persian-WinXP
layout does not obey irwinxp
and irwinxp
is igored. Instead ir
controls Persian-WinXP
.
Update #2:
Unity has a problem with my new layout. The new layout icon is dark. But it works well.
Note: I use Ubuntu 14.04.
Creating custom keyboard layout
For example, I'm looking to add a new modified English (international AltGr dead keys) US layout with swapped
r
,R
&t
,T
. I will name it XY swapped:RT English (international AltGr dead keys).Create new symbols file:
sudo nano /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/xy
include "us(altgr-intl)"
means it inherits all key from that layout only key overridden here.You may use Keyboard Layout Editor which is a GUI program that helps create or edit XKB keyboard layouts. Thanks to @Glutanimate
Add the new layout declaration to
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml
(copy & modifyus
layout section)Reference: Make new variant keyboard layout available in Settings?
sudo gedit /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml
Delete xkb cache.
or
Reference: Why did 13.10 break my custom keyboard layout?
Reply to fix OP modifications
(Update #1 wrong parent layout) You have modified
xkb_symbols "pes_part_basic"
which is inirwinxp
file: that's ok.but
xkb_symbols "pes"
inirwinxp
file still:which should be:
(Update #2 custom icon) If
<shortDescription>en</shortDescription>
changed to<shortDescription>xy</shortDescription>
. So the new layout will distinct fromEn
and it will appear asXy
.Most probably there will be no icon for it in
ubuntu-mono
. Then the indicator will dynamically generate new one which may not follow current theme.Copy any layout icons for dark/light mono themes:
SVG files are just XML. Open then for editing and change text value from
En
toXy
:Example:
Update theme cache:
Logout/login
Other Helpful References
I've been using variations of the above answer for a number of years but things started to break with newer versions of Ubuntu and possibly due to the switchover to Wayland so I looked for another way.
It appears a more convenient and cleaner (since it's all in userspace) way of specifying keyboard layout customisations has been introduced. This has been tested on 22.04 LTS and 21.10 under GNOME/Wayland.
Here's an example that remaps the PrtSc ("print screen") key as the "menu" key. I find this useful on my ThinkPad keyboard, as it has this less useful (IMHO) former key in lieu of the latter.
In the above, we've created a couple of files called
rules/evdev
andsymbols/custom
in the.config/xkb
directory of our home directory. Note: no need forsudo
or modifying any system file.In those files, we've defined a custom option, which we've called
prtscmenu
(you can use what you like, just replace all occurrences of the string), and finally we've used the "familiar" XKB syntax to override the<PRSC>
("print screen") key as desired. The syntax is the same as the one used in the accepted answer.Finally, in order to apply this option (or disable it), on top of whichever keyboard happens to be loaded, one just needs to run:
These can easily be set as aliases to make things even easier.
A couple more points:
xkb-option
GSettings above accepts an array)prtscmenu
customization atop each layout.Source & credit: https://who-t.blogspot.com/2020/02/user-specific-xkb-configuration-part-1.html