Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[David Wright]

On Tue 13 Sep 2016 at 19:46:03 (-0400), Doug wrote:
> On 09/13/2016 04:40 PM, David Wright wrote:
> >On Tue 13 Sep 2016 at 15:12:17 (-0400), Doug wrote:
> >>On 09/13/2016 01:07 AM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >>>On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:
> >>>
> On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >
> >>And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
> >>/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
> >>of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.
> >Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
> >everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)
> >
> >Maybe that is not what you want.
> >
> >
> It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose,
> I don't know why it would bother anyone using the machine. It
> wouldn't stay that way
> if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all
> (that I know of) in Linux.
> >>>I see your point. That particular change is not going to surprise
> >>>anyone. It won't turn an expected character key into an unexpected
> >>>dead key, and then keep some other user from entering their password,
> >>>quotation marks, etc.
> >>>
> >>>In other words, no fun at all.
> >>>
> As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard with no
> Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an
> option in the keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you
> sure that Debian doesn't
> have that capability built in, somewhere?
> >>>No, I am certainly not certain about that. And I imagine there are
> >>>desktop-environment-specific ways of configuring keyboard default
> >>>preferences like this, and doing so per-user. It will be interesting
> >>>to see if someone who uses the OP's DE suggests one.
> >>>
> >>>In the meantime there is also this:
> >>>
> >>># dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuation
> >>>
> >>>It asks many questions. One of the questions it eventually asks is
> >>>about your compose key--whether you want one, which key you want it to
> >>>be, etc.
> >>>
> >>>It edits /etc/default/keyboard to conform to your answers. So the same
> >>>caveat about "system-wide changes, hope everyone will be equally
> >>>thrilled" applies. A backup of the file you started with, before you
> >>>made changes, could be convenient to have.
> >>>
> (I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't
> write a European language,
> >>>Aha, a Brexit joke. Good one.
> >>>
> it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just wrote.
> >>>Mastery of sarcasm: Check.
> >>>
> And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)
> >>>I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
> >>>environment does not support the other two.
> >>>
> >>>So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
> >>>mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
> >>>clover/club symbol. I may never know.
> >>Don't know what you are not seeing. Here's what I wrote—and what I do see—
> >>
> >>one-half, one-third,  three-eighths, copyright symbol, degree sign
> >>after 75, Greek letter mu meaning micro before F (for Farads), cent
> >>sign after17.
> >Oh good, someone who uses these! Can you help me with how you use the
> >last of these characters:
> >
> >⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⅟
> >
> >It doesn't say it's a combining character and I can't find any
> >denominators anyway to go with it.
> >
> >(For those people using fonts having qualities other than a wide
> >repertoire, they're the thirds, fifths, sixths and eighths followed
> >by a solitary 1/ numerator.)

Thank you to Siard; I grepped "denom" and not "subscript".

> Dav[id], I'm not sure, but I don't think you can write a number greater than 8
> in this system.  I just tried to create one-ninth, but was unsuccessful.
> Perhaps someone smarter than me has an answer.

Not smarter; there's a list somewhere. Extracted:

2150VULGAR FRACTION ONE SEVENTH
#  0031 2044 0037
2151VULGAR FRACTION ONE NINTH
#  0031 2044 0039
2152VULGAR FRACTION ONE TENTH
#  0031 2044 0031 0030
2153VULGAR FRACTION ONE THIRD
#  0031 2044 0033

then as quoted above, and, knocking around:

2189VULGAR FRACTION ZERO THIRDS
* used in baseball scoring, from ARIB STD B24
#  0030 2044 0033

Cheers,
David.

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[Neal P. Murphy]

On Tue, 13 Sep 2016 19:46:03 -0400
Doug  wrote:

> On 09/13/2016 04:40 PM, David Wright wrote:
> > On Tue 13 Sep 2016 at 15:12:17 (-0400), Doug wrote:
> >> On 09/13/2016 01:07 AM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >>> On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:
> >>>
>  On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> > On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >
> >> And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
> >> /etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
> >> of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.
> > Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
> > everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)
> >
> > Maybe that is not what you want.
> >
> >
>  It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose,
>  I don't know why it would bother anyone using the machine. It
>  wouldn't stay that way
>  if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all
>  (that I know of) in Linux.
> >>> I see your point. That particular change is not going to surprise
> >>> anyone. It won't turn an expected character key into an unexpected
> >>> dead key, and then keep some other user from entering their password,
> >>> quotation marks, etc.
> >>>
> >>> In other words, no fun at all.
> >>>
>  As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard with no
>  Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an
>  option in the keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you
>  sure that Debian doesn't
>  have that capability built in, somewhere?
> >>> No, I am certainly not certain about that. And I imagine there are
> >>> desktop-environment-specific ways of configuring keyboard default
> >>> preferences like this, and doing so per-user. It will be interesting
> >>> to see if someone who uses the OP's DE suggests one.
> >>>
> >>> In the meantime there is also this:
> >>>
> >>> # dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuation
> >>>
> >>> It asks many questions. One of the questions it eventually asks is
> >>> about your compose key--whether you want one, which key you want it to
> >>> be, etc.
> >>>
> >>> It edits /etc/default/keyboard to conform to your answers. So the same
> >>> caveat about "system-wide changes, hope everyone will be equally
> >>> thrilled" applies. A backup of the file you started with, before you
> >>> made changes, could be convenient to have.
> >>>
>  (I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't
>  write a European language,
> >>> Aha, a Brexit joke. Good one.
> >>>
>  it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just wrote.
> >>> Mastery of sarcasm: Check.
> >>>
>  And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)
> >>> I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
> >>> environment does not support the other two.
> >>>
> >>> So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
> >>> mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
> >>> clover/club symbol. I may never know.
> >> Don't know what you are not seeing. Here's what I wrote—and what I do see—
> >>
> >> one-half, one-third,  three-eighths, copyright symbol, degree sign
> >> after 75, Greek letter mu meaning micro before F (for Farads), cent
> >> sign after17.
> > Oh good, someone who uses these! Can you help me with how you use the
> > last of these characters:
> >
> > ⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⅟
> >
> > It doesn't say it's a combining character and I can't find any
> > denominators anyway to go with it.
> >
> > (For those people using fonts having qualities other than a wide
> > repertoire, they're the thirds, fifths, sixths and eighths followed
> > by a solitary 1/ numerator.)
> >
> > Cheers,
> > David.
> >
> >
> Dave, I'm not sure, but I don't think you can write a number greater than 8
> in this system.  I just tried to create one-ninth, but was unsuccessful.
> Perhaps someone smarter than me has an answer.
> 
> BTW, there is at least one free Windows app that will give you just 
> about the
> same system--it's called (surprise!) WinCompose. Google it if you use 
> Windows.
> I only use Windows for some audio things that Linux kinda bombs on.
> 
> --doug
> 

I've been using the right menu key (between R-ALT and R-CTRL) to compose for 
some years now

degree (°):  o o
mu (µ):  m u
elipsis (…)  . .
½ ⅓ ¼ ⅕ ⅙ ⅛  1 [2 3 4 5 6 8]
copyright (©)  t m
paragraph (¶)  p !
not equal (≠)  / =
circled #24 (㉔)  ( 2 4 )
Spanish letter after 'n' (ñ)  ~ n
superscript 0 (⁰)  ^ 0
U with umlaut(?) (ü)  " u
em dash (—)  - - -

Look in /usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/Compose for the definitions. Not all 
of them work. Some (many?) may require keyboards capable of generating more 
than ASCII. But there are a lot of common uses (such as European 'diacritics').

These usually require programs that display UTF-8.

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[Doug]

On 09/13/2016 04:40 PM, David Wright wrote:

On Tue 13 Sep 2016 at 15:12:17 (-0400), Doug wrote:

On 09/13/2016 01:07 AM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:


On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:


And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.

Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)

Maybe that is not what you want.



It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose,
I don't know why it would bother anyone using the machine. It
wouldn't stay that way
if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all
(that I know of) in Linux.

I see your point. That particular change is not going to surprise
anyone. It won't turn an expected character key into an unexpected
dead key, and then keep some other user from entering their password,
quotation marks, etc.

In other words, no fun at all.


As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard with no
Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an
option in the keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you
sure that Debian doesn't
have that capability built in, somewhere?

No, I am certainly not certain about that. And I imagine there are
desktop-environment-specific ways of configuring keyboard default
preferences like this, and doing so per-user. It will be interesting
to see if someone who uses the OP's DE suggests one.

In the meantime there is also this:

# dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuation

It asks many questions. One of the questions it eventually asks is
about your compose key--whether you want one, which key you want it to
be, etc.

It edits /etc/default/keyboard to conform to your answers. So the same
caveat about "system-wide changes, hope everyone will be equally
thrilled" applies. A backup of the file you started with, before you
made changes, could be convenient to have.


(I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't
write a European language,

Aha, a Brexit joke. Good one.


it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just wrote.

Mastery of sarcasm: Check.


And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)

I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
environment does not support the other two.

So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
clover/club symbol. I may never know.

Don't know what you are not seeing. Here's what I wrote—and what I do see—

one-half, one-third,  three-eighths, copyright symbol, degree sign
after 75, Greek letter mu meaning micro before F (for Farads), cent
sign after17.

Oh good, someone who uses these! Can you help me with how you use the
last of these characters:

⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⅟

It doesn't say it's a combining character and I can't find any
denominators anyway to go with it.

(For those people using fonts having qualities other than a wide
repertoire, they're the thirds, fifths, sixths and eighths followed
by a solitary 1/ numerator.)

Cheers,
David.



Dave, I'm not sure, but I don't think you can write a number greater than 8
in this system.  I just tried to create one-ninth, but was unsuccessful.
Perhaps someone smarter than me has an answer.

BTW, there is at least one free Windows app that will give you just 
about the
same system--it's called (surprise!) WinCompose. Google it if you use 
Windows.

I only use Windows for some audio things that Linux kinda bombs on.

--doug

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[Siard]

David Wright wrote:
> Oh good, someone who uses these! Can you help me with how you use the
> last of these characters:
> 
> ⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⅟
> 
> It doesn't say it's a combining character and I can't find any
> denominators anyway to go with it.

Use the subscripts of digits.
E.g. ⅟  followed by  _2  _5  _6
yields ⅟₂₅₆  (1 divided by 256).

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[davidson]

On Tue, 13 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:

On 09/13/2016 01:07 AM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:

And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)


I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
environment does not support the other two.

So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
clover/club symbol. I may never know.

Don't know what you are not seeing. Here's what I wrote—and what I do see—

one-half, one-third,  three-eighths, copyright symbol, degree sign after 75, 
Greek letter mu meaning micro before F (for Farads), cent sign after17.


I see now.

Thank you.

--

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[David Wright]

On Tue 13 Sep 2016 at 15:12:17 (-0400), Doug wrote:
> On 09/13/2016 01:07 AM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:
> >
> >>On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >>>On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> >>>
> And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
> /etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
> of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.
> >>>
> >>>Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
> >>>everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)
> >>>
> >>>Maybe that is not what you want.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose,
> >>I don't know why it would bother anyone using the machine. It
> >>wouldn't stay that way
> >>if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all
> >>(that I know of) in Linux.
> >
> >I see your point. That particular change is not going to surprise
> >anyone. It won't turn an expected character key into an unexpected
> >dead key, and then keep some other user from entering their password,
> >quotation marks, etc.
> >
> >In other words, no fun at all.
> >
> >>As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard with no
> >>Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an
> >>option in the keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you
> >>sure that Debian doesn't
> >>have that capability built in, somewhere?
> >
> >No, I am certainly not certain about that. And I imagine there are
> >desktop-environment-specific ways of configuring keyboard default
> >preferences like this, and doing so per-user. It will be interesting
> >to see if someone who uses the OP's DE suggests one.
> >
> >In the meantime there is also this:
> >
> > # dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuation
> >
> >It asks many questions. One of the questions it eventually asks is
> >about your compose key--whether you want one, which key you want it to
> >be, etc.
> >
> >It edits /etc/default/keyboard to conform to your answers. So the same
> >caveat about "system-wide changes, hope everyone will be equally
> >thrilled" applies. A backup of the file you started with, before you
> >made changes, could be convenient to have.
> >
> >>(I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't
> >>write a European language,
> >
> >Aha, a Brexit joke. Good one.
> >
> >>it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just wrote.
> >
> >Mastery of sarcasm: Check.
> >
> >>And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)
> >
> >I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
> >environment does not support the other two.
> >
> >So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
> >mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
> >clover/club symbol. I may never know.
> Don't know what you are not seeing. Here's what I wrote—and what I do see—
> 
> one-half, one-third,  three-eighths, copyright symbol, degree sign
> after 75, Greek letter mu meaning micro before F (for Farads), cent
> sign after17.

Oh good, someone who uses these! Can you help me with how you use the
last of these characters:

⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ⅟

It doesn't say it's a combining character and I can't find any
denominators anyway to go with it.

(For those people using fonts having qualities other than a wide
repertoire, they're the thirds, fifths, sixths and eighths followed
by a solitary 1/ numerator.)

Cheers,
David.

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[Doug]

On 09/13/2016 01:07 AM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:


On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:


And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.


Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)

Maybe that is not what you want.


It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose, I 
don't know why it would bother anyone using the machine. It wouldn't 
stay that way
if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all (that I 
know of) in Linux.


I see your point. That particular change is not going to surprise
anyone. It won't turn an expected character key into an unexpected
dead key, and then keep some other user from entering their password,
quotation marks, etc.

In other words, no fun at all.


As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard with no
Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an option 
in the keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you sure that 
Debian doesn't

have that capability built in, somewhere?


No, I am certainly not certain about that. And I imagine there are
desktop-environment-specific ways of configuring keyboard default
preferences like this, and doing so per-user. It will be interesting
to see if someone who uses the OP's DE suggests one.

In the meantime there is also this:

 # dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuation

It asks many questions. One of the questions it eventually asks is
about your compose key--whether you want one, which key you want it to
be, etc.

It edits /etc/default/keyboard to conform to your answers. So the same
caveat about "system-wide changes, hope everyone will be equally
thrilled" applies. A backup of the file you started with, before you
made changes, could be convenient to have.

(I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't write 
a European language,


Aha, a Brexit joke. Good one.


it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just wrote.


Mastery of sarcasm: Check.


And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)


I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
environment does not support the other two.

So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
clover/club symbol. I may never know.

Don't know what you are not seeing. Here's what I wrote—and what I do see—

one-half, one-third,  three-eighths, copyright symbol, degree sign after 
75, Greek letter mu meaning micro before F (for Farads), cent sign after17.


--doug

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[tomas]

-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
Hash: SHA1

On Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 12:04:53PM +0200, Siard wrote:
> to...@tuxteam.de wrote:
> > I haven't yet seen a complete table (nor have I yet bothered to find out
> > how one configures that in X -- some day I'll do).
> 
> Well, there is a complete listing in /usr/share/X11/locale//Compose.
> You can add or edit your own combinations there.

Hey, thanks -- you just killed my last excuse :-)

regards
- -- t
-BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-
Version: GnuPG v1.4.12 (GNU/Linux)

iEYEARECAAYFAlfX0s4ACgkQBcgs9XrR2kaSxQCfV7Ic7EKbwl8gF4peWyAllZh7
jHIAnRKHCarrTflSH7z2TO/yw1sciGEG
=5L0p
-END PGP SIGNATURE-

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[Siard]

to...@tuxteam.de wrote:
> I haven't yet seen a complete table (nor have I yet bothered to find out
> how one configures that in X -- some day I'll do).

Well, there is a complete listing in /usr/share/X11/locale//Compose.
You can add or edit your own combinations there.

I should add that my  en_GB.UTF-8 does not exist here [stretch],
but en_US.UTF-8 appears to be taking its place.

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[tomas]

-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
Hash: SHA1

On Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 05:07:28AM +, david...@freevolt.org wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:

[...]

> >And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)
> 
> I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
> environment does not support the other two.

My personal favourite is still ♥ (and of course those omnipresent
☺ and ☹) I chose the (to me otherwise useless) caps lock as compose.
> 
> So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
> mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
> clover/club symbol. I may never know.

With compose, they tend to be somewhat mnemonic, so you can remember
them once you've seen them once. E.g. '<' + '3' => '♥' and
'.' + ')' => '☺'. You get the idea. I haven't yet seen a complete
table (nor have I yet bothered to find out how one configures that
in X -- some day I'll do).

Regards

- -- t
-BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-
Version: GnuPG v1.4.12 (GNU/Linux)

iEYEARECAAYFAlfXpxAACgkQBcgs9XrR2kbOOQCfbVd7Aedwwp21eJSNAlLjhQDV
AcUAn0P5jZK/DtRu/Q+lnvMh6nVhmcrs
=NLsN
-END PGP SIGNATURE-

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[davidson]

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, Doug wrote:


On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:


And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.


Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)

Maybe that is not what you want.


It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose, I don't know 
why it would bother anyone using the machine. It wouldn't stay that way
if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all (that I know 
of) in Linux.


I see your point. That particular change is not going to surprise
anyone. It won't turn an expected character key into an unexpected
dead key, and then keep some other user from entering their password,
quotation marks, etc.

In other words, no fun at all.


As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard with no
Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an option in the 
keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you sure that Debian doesn't

have that capability built in, somewhere?


No, I am certainly not certain about that. And I imagine there are
desktop-environment-specific ways of configuring keyboard default
preferences like this, and doing so per-user. It will be interesting
to see if someone who uses the OP's DE suggests one.

In the meantime there is also this:

 # dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuation

It asks many questions. One of the questions it eventually asks is
about your compose key--whether you want one, which key you want it to
be, etc.

It edits /etc/default/keyboard to conform to your answers. So the same
caveat about "system-wide changes, hope everyone will be equally
thrilled" applies. A backup of the file you started with, before you
made changes, could be convenient to have.

(I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't write a 
European language,


Aha, a Brexit joke. Good one.


it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just wrote.


Mastery of sarcasm: Check.


And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)


I see recognisable glyphs for five out of seven of those. My
environment does not support the other two.

So I know what they are not, but I don't know what they are. Very
mysterious. Could be IPA symbols. Could be a happy face next to a
clover/club symbol. I may never know.

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[Doug]

On 09/11/2016 11:47 PM, david...@freevolt.org wrote:

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:


And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.


Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)

Maybe that is not what you want.


It looks like your code sets up the right Win key to be Compose, I don't 
know why it would bother anyone using the machine. It wouldn't stay that 
way
if you rebooted into Windows, and the key does nothing at all (that I 
know of) in Linux. As it happens, I have an old IBM model M keyboard 
with no
Windows keys, so I use the right alt key. Also, PCLOS has an option in 
the keyboard setup to choose a Compose key. Are you sure that Debian 
doesn't

have that capability built in, somewhere?
(I happen to be a big fan of Compose, because even if you don't write a 
European language, it does other useful things—like that m-dash I just 
wrote.

And ½, ⅓, ⅜, ©, 75°, µF, 17¢, and others.)

--doug

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[davidson]

On Mon, 12 Sep 2016, david...@freevolt.org wrote:


And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.


Of course, editing that file will change the default system-wide, for
everybody. Even, erm, Mark! (...if running Ubuntu.)

Maybe that is not what you want.

Re: Gnome 3.21: how to define compose key?

[davidson]

On Sun, 11 Sep 2016, Joost Kraaijeveld wrote:


I want to use my right super key (right win) as my compose key to be
able to type accented letters.


I don't use gnome, but I expect

 $ setxkbmap -option "compose:rwin"

would do what you want.

And if I wanted that behavior all the time, I would edit the file
/etc/default/keyboard, adding compose:rwin to the comma-separated list
of pairs in XKBOPTIONS.

So, for example, if I found this there, originally,

XKBOPTIONS="lv3:caps_switch,compose:ralt,grp:menu_toggle"

I would replace it like so:

#XKBOPTIONS="lv3:caps_switch,compose:ralt,grp:menu_toggle"
XKBOPTIONS="lv3:caps_switch,compose:rwin,grp:menu_toggle"

I would expect it to work. Maybe it will.