missing backslash-underscore key in Japanese layout

[Nobuto Murata]

Binary package hint: onboard
Latest Package Tested: onboard 0.94.0-0ubuntu2b1

In Japanese keyboard layout, users cannot input underscore "_" and backslash "\" from lack of a key.

How to reproduce:
 1. set the layout Japan-Japan in gnome-keyboard-properties.
 2. launch onboard.

Expected result:
 can see backslash key (underscore when shift pressed) between slash key and right shift key.
 http://launchpadlibrarian.net/42634480/KB_Japanese_dev.png (Number 1 in this image)

Actual result:
 the key not appeared.
 http://launchpadlibrarian.net/42635208/onboad.png (Number 1 in this image)

ProblemType: BugDistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: onboard 0.93.0-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.58-generic-pae
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic-pae i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Mar 31 17:14:19 2010
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=ja_JP:ja:en_GB:en
 LANG=ja_JP.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bashSourcePackage: onboard

[Charlie Kravetz (charlie-tca)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test a current Ubuntu Ubuntu10.10. The issue that you reported is one that should be reproducible with the live environment of the Desktop CD.

[Nobuto Murata (nobuto)]

It's still reproducible with onboard 0.94.0-0ubuntu2b1 and natty alpha2.

[Charlie Kravetz (charlie-tca)]

Thanks for reporting this bug and any supporting documentation. Since this bug has enough information provided for a developer to begin work, I'm going to mark it as confirmed and let them handle it from here. Thanks for taking the time to make Ubuntu better!

[Mitsuya Shibata (cosmos-door)]

Affects us keyboard too.
Is it valid which "<" key lies to the left of "z" key?

[Francesco Fumanti (frafu)]

You might be right: if I look at the United State keyboard on Wikipedia, there is no key between the left shift and the "z" key:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#QWERTY-based_layouts_for_Latin_script

Other layouts, like the United Kingdom keyboard, have a key between the left shift and the "z", but on the other hand, they lack a key above the return key compared to the US layout. As the compact layout is intended to be used with various languages, the best probably is to keep both keys.

Onboard supports the creation of custom layouts through xml and svg files; people, that need particular layouts might use this feature and create a custom layout.
(The coming Onboard version 0.99.0 of Onboard is planned to ship two additional layouts geared for mobile devices.)

[Mitsuya Shibata (cosmos-door)]

Thank you for your reply.
I think "for compact" is reasonable reason.

However there is original reported problem that onboard layout cannot input jp keys.

Missing keys are:
- AE13: keycode = 132, key = [yen, bar]
- AB11: keycode = 97, key = [backslash, underscore]

Preferred layout is (like attatched image):
- AE13 is left of BKSP
- AB11 is left of RTSH

Possible solutions: Make new layouts for Japanese.
- It is simple.
- User needs to change layout manually (can handle in language-selector?).
- Increase layout files (Compact for Jp, FUll Keyboard for Jp, Grid for Jp, and other countries...)
- Most part is redundant, increase package size (is there any way to share common part?).