(needs x11 protocol update) XKB cannot map multiple keyboard models

Binary package hint: gnome-control-center

The gnome-keyboard-properties dialog allows me to define only 1 keyboard model; instead the model ought to be specific to each layout.

I have an English keyboard (Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard with 105 keys) and also a French one (AZERTY with 104 keys). I cannot properly define the French one because I cannot select an appropriate keyboard model for it without disrupting the definition of the English keyboard. I can only define a single model system-wide.

Thanks for reporting this issue. I am not sure this is a bug in gnome-control-center.
This might also depend on how the X server handles keyboards.

Thank you for your bug report. What version of Ubuntu do you use? Do you mean that you use several keyboards in the same time on the same configuration?

On Sat, 2008-02-09 at 12:54 +0000, Sebastien Bacher wrote:
> Thank you for your bug report. What version of Ubuntu do you use? Do you
> mean that you use several keyboards in the same time on the same
> configuration?
>
> ** Changed in: gnome-control-center (Ubuntu)
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Ubuntu Desktop Bugs (desktop-bugs)
> Status: Confirmed => Incomplete

I'm attempting to use a French Azerty keyboard as well as an English
(UK) Qwerty one. It works except that the <> key (to the left of W on a
French keyboard) is not mapped correctly but produces \| like a British
keyboard. I use the French one when writing text in French - it's much
easier to produce the accented letters.

The problem is that the French keyboard has only 104 keys and the
English one has 105. As I understand it, the design of X itself doesn't
allow for that.
--
Oliver Elphick <email address hidden>
Paule, Brittany, France http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
GPG: 1024D/A54310EA 92C8 39E7 280E 3631 3F0E 1EC0 5664 7A2F A543 10EA
                 ========================================
 You're nearly out of time! http://www.lfix.co.uk/disappearance.html

--
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.

http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=545897 states that's an xorg issue

"It is not possible within the current X/XKB schema. It allows only one model
("man setxkbmap").

What is needed is PnP solution on X level - chosing right model depending on
the plugged keyboard. But that's not GNOME's task."

Hi olly-lfix,

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

As for reproducing it, the keyboard preferences dialogue still gives me only one choice of keyboard model, whereas I have 2 keyboards of different models, so I still have a problem. When the 105 character UK keyboard model is selected, which is the normal case, the French <> key produces \|. I am running Ubuntu Hardy Heron.

I attach a file containing the data you requested; I have also included the USB data about the two keyboards.

Moving to wishlist since from the gnome bug it sounds like this is an issue with the X protocol, which would need extended to support a multiplicity of keyboards. This should probably be forwarded to X upstream.

[This is probably more an xserver issue than xkeyboard-config]

[Or rather, x11proto-core it seems is the best place for it.]
Also see related bug #56912

> What is needed is PnP solution on X level - chosing right model depending on
> the plugged keyboard. But that's not GNOME's task."

Is this what evdev now does?
With the right x11-input.fdi file can this now be worked around?