layout options gone from keyboard preferences

[Erno Kuusela]

The icon that looks like it might mean "keyboard options" is greyed out (the one with the screwdriver icon). See screenshot

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu34
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-5.11-generic 3.11.0
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-5-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.12.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Sep 9 21:35:04 2013
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: gnome-control-center
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
usr_lib_gnome-control-center:
 activity-log-manager 0.9.7-0ubuntu4
 deja-dup 27.3.1-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-datetime 13.10.0+13.10.20130903-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-signon 0.1.7~+13.10.20130724.1-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-unity 1.3daily13.06.14.1-0ubuntu1

[Erno Kuusela (erno-iki)]

There are also comments on askubuntu.com lamenting its demise. http://askubuntu.com/a/33792/191977

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

The url you link to is years old and has nothing to do with this bug report...

[Erno Kuusela (erno-iki)]

No, the Saucy comment is 5 days old:

 "This option has disappeared in Ubuntu Saucy. I'm not sure how to explain this but it is simply not there. The Keyboard preferences have no "Layout tab", but there is a "layout settings" button, and when I click it it takes me to the "Input Sources" tab of the "Region & Language" panel, which is mysteriously lacking any kind of 'Options' button. The only button there opens up a virtual on-screen keyboard that displays my broken keyboard layout to me with no way of changing which keys behave which way. – Robru Sep 6 at 18:34"

[Erno Kuusela (erno-iki)]

And please don't set the imporance to low, it's a big usability issue for a lot of people to get a usable
ctrl key. Many keyboards have the native ctrl in some unreachable place while touch typing.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Those options got dropped from GNOME, they added them to "gnome-tweak-tools", you can install that if you need it... or open a bug on their bugzilla. There is https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=703967 about a similar topic

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

For Ubuntu 13.10, the extra keyboard layout options are in gnome-tweak-tool. This bug will be fixed when we upgrade gnome-control-center to 3.8 as it moves many of the options back to gnome-control-center.

The screwdriver button only works for certain ibus input method settings. I'm pushing an update now to saucy to go ahead and hide the button completely when it's not available instead of greying it out.

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

I believe the 'low' severity is appropriate especially because there's an "easy workaround" by installing and using gnome-tweak-tool.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Importance

[Erno Kuusela (erno-iki)]

Ok, gnome-tweak-tool workaround does the job and I'm happy if it's coming back to kb prefs in the future. Thanks!