> I use "nodeadkeys" in my XF86config(-4) ever since I use X with german > keyboards... What are these dead keys good for and where are they found/used
Dead keys are Dead circumflex and Dead trema. See them as keys with Compose behaviour. You hit "^", then nothing shows up until you hit another key. If this another key may be combined with the "^", then you get the circumflexed character: ^+a then gives � and so on..... For German, afaik, you only need those for Umlaute, so for "� �" and that's all. From memory, german keyboard have these directly, which means that dead keys are mostly useless.... On French keyboard, the use of dead keys is very common because we use several letters for which they are useful. These letters do no have dedicated keys (while "����" has their own keys). This is why, by default, French keymaps included a dead circumflex/trema key while German ones don't. Other examples of dead keys are "~" (tilde) and "`" (grave accent) keys.....Some keyboard layouts have these as dead keys (for instance, the Windows 2000/XF french keyboard has a dead ~ while the linux french keymap doesn't). > anyway ? Ok, http://wauug.erols.com/~balsa/linux/deadkeys/ got some answers, > I think it would a good idea to explain in the installation manual what > deadkeys are ?! > > I think "deadkeys" should not be translated, "firewire" won't be translated as > well ;-) This is different. In French we definitely translate "dead keys" as "touches mortes" (literaly "Tottasten") and I've always heard french people speak about "touches mortes".....at least those who know this term exists...other simply do no use anything and just type the keys..:-) So, definitely, "deadkeys" should be translated, IMHO.
