Keyboard Layout Options window is missed in gnome-control-center keyboard

[Norbert]

In next six month 14.04 will be prepared and arrived. It's LTS. So users of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS may want to update to it.

What they have now (in Ubuntu 12.04.3)?
They have very wide choose of available hotkeys for layout change. Let's see.
In Ubuntu 12.04.3, under gnome-control-center keyboard we have (select tab "Typing", click on link "Layout Settings" in left bottom corner of window, press the "Options" button in the bottom right corner of window, window "Keyboard Layout Options" is opened).

This window allows user to set many options.
It allows to set the following:
> Adding currency signs to certain keys
> Adding Esperanto circumflexes (supersigno)
> Alt/Win key behavior
> Caps Lock key behavior
> Compose key position
> Ctrl key position
> Japanese keyboard options
> Key sequence to kill the X server
> Key(s) to change layout
> Key to choose 3rd level
> Key to choose 5th level
> Miscellaneous compatibility options
> Numeric keypad delete key behavior
> Numeric keypad layout selection
> Use keyboard LED to show alternative layout
> Using space key to input non-breakable space character

In Ubuntu 13.10 this setup window is missing.
So user will be unable to adjust many layout switching parameters.

For example, under "Key(s) to change layout" this window has:
    Alt+Caps Lock
    Alt+Ctrl
    Alt+Shift
    Alt+Space
    Any Win key (while pressed)
    Both Alt keys together
    Both Ctrl keys together
    Both Shift keys together
    Caps Lock
    Caps Lock (to first layout), Shift+Caps Lock (to last layout)
    Caps Lock (while pressed), Alt+Caps Lock does the original capslock action
    Ctrl+Shift
    Left Alt
    Left Alt+Left Shift
    Left Alt (while pressed)
    Left Ctrl
    Left Ctrl+Left Shift
    Left Ctrl+LeftWin (to first layout), RightCtrl+Menu (to second layout)
    Left Ctrl (to first layout), Right Ctrl (to last layout)
    Left Shift
    Left Win
    Left Win (to first layout), Right Win/Menu (to last layout)
    Left Win (while pressed)
    Menu
    Right Alt
    Rigth Alt (while pressed)
    Right Ctrl
    Right Ctrl+Right Shift
    Right Ctrl (while pressed)
    Right Shift
    Right Win
    Right Win (while pressed)
    Scroll Lock
    Shift+Caps Lock
This list is very long but universal. Defined hotkeys are full-functional. For example if I set Ctrl+Shift for layout changing I can copy and paste in gnome-terminal with Ctrl+Shift+C / V.
I do not want to post other "Keyboard Layout Options" features, that missed in 13.10. But they are of course missed.
What we have now in 13.10 (ppa:attente/1218322 or proposed)?
We have simple shortcuts (for example Alt+Shift and Ctrl+Shift) and do not have other.

This bug report will be a table of contents of all issues, that are called from this window and are broken/missed in Ubuntu 13.10. For example, we can detect and report separate bugreports for each hotkey which does not work correctly in 13.10:

   Separate bug reports for individual layout switching hotkey combinations:
   > Super+Space and Shift+Super+Space, found in:
         * Unity greeter (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-greeter/+bug/1245137);
         * Unity session (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/1245136);
         * lock screen - gnome-screensaver (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/1245138);
         * ubiquity installer (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1242572).
   > Alt+Shift
         * lock screen - gnome-screensaver (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/1245256)
         * Unity greeter (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-greeter/+bug/1245258)
         * Can't set keyboard layout change to Alt+Shift (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1245926)
   > Ctrl+Shift
         * lock screen - gnome-screensaver (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/1245270)
         * Unity greeter (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-greeter/+bug/1245268)
         * Can't set keyboard layout change to Ctrl+Shift (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1245991)
   > Shift+Shift
         * Can't set keyboard layout change to Shift+Shift (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1245272)
         * lock screen - gnome-screensaver (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/1245278)
         * Unity greeter (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-greeter/+bug/1245280)

   Bugs which belong to keyboard layout switching:
         * Hotkeys not functional in non-latin keyboard layout in 13.10 (https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1226962)
         * Keyboard Layout Options window is missed in gnome-control-center keyboard
(https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1245064)
         * Unable to set keyboard LED to show alternative layout in gnome-control-center keyboard in Saucy (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1245188)
         * Unable to set Miscellaneous compatibility options in gnome-control-center keyboard in Saucy (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1245199)
         * Keyboard shortcut for changing keyboard layout does not work on lock screen
(https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/1244548)
         * [FFe] indicator-keyboard not working under greeter (https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity-greeter/+bug/1228207)
         * Lost ability to remap Caps Lock to Ctrl
(https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/indicator-keyboard/+bug/1215826/)
         * gnome-control-center keyboard no longer has way to modify caps lock key behavior (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/1224575)

-------------------------------

Keyboard layout switching is most important and most essential functionality.

IMHO. I do not agree with GNOME simpilicity/stupidity modern style and I hope that 14.04 will be polished and full-functional as Precise Pangolin. I understand that some of the keyboard layout switch options are available in gnome-tweak-tool, but it is not right place for them. Layout switching is a common feature, there is no reason to hide it under not-preinstalled tool.
Let's make Trusty Tahr the greatest Ubuntu LTS release!

----------
For other layout switching problems introduced in Ubuntu 13.10 you can see bug 1218322.
----------

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu45
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-13.20-generic 3.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-13-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Oct 27 01:17:13 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-20 (6 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release i386 (20131016.1)
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+13.10.20131016.2-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-signon 0.1.7~+13.10.20130724.1-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-unity 1.3+13.10.20131004-0ubuntu1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Kom-Si (val.komissarov)]

"Keyboard layout switching is most important and most essential functionality."
Exactly! That's why 13.10 drove me absolutely nuts. Why would anyone meddle with functionality that's been Linux's undisputed strength for ages? OK, I understand progress and all that stuff. But why remove it? Why replace it with something clearly Apple-like only to discover at release stage that this applish concoction simply doesn't work (it DID work in final beta)?!
Pathetic. I'm thoroughly disappointed with Ubuntu ATM.

[Dirk Willrodt (dwillrodt)]

the ability to set a compose key is missing and that is just stupid for people that have to write in multiple languages. Why this would be removed is beyond me.
Why any settings menue would be reduced is beyond me. If a user does not want to tinker with it, he will never SEE any settings menu, but for some of use Ubuntu was a highly customizable system and we liked it for that.

[Ivan Helguera (gokmar)]

I have problems controlling numlock on my macbook, and I did hope to find those options to prevent Numlock turning on after Unity starts (which did happened sometimes and was impossible to change)

[Romano Giannetti (romano-giannetti)]

Hi, you can set compose key --- it's just in another place. See http://askubuntu.com/questions/360378/how-to-access-the-keyboard-layout-options-in-13-10/370257#370257, i have mine set to Menu and it's ok.

Anyone knows how to re-instate Ctrl-Alt-Backspace behavior, though? I was unable to find it.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Since this is not a bug but a nonconformity with how GNOME developers have designed the control center, it has a status of "opinion".

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Priority set to 'medium' because the bug is a usability issue that does not limit the functionality of a core application.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

This bug needs now to be notified to the upstream developers of GNOME (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/HowToTriage#Forwarding_upstream).

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

On 2013-11-12 16:50, Alberto Salvia Novella wrote:
> Since this is not a bug but a nonconformity with how GNOME developers
> have designed the control center, it has a status of "opinion".

Status "opinion" closes a task. I suppose you meant importance "wishlist".

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

I reported upstream.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Well, lets just sit and see what happens in GNOME.

[Romano Giannetti (romano-giannetti)]

Reading the comments, and the linked comment on https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=711426, it seems that the GNOME resolution is WONTFIX --- letting the options in gnome-tweak-tool (which, BTW, is broken in Ubuntu now --- please see https://bugs.launchpad.net/gnome-tweak-tool/+bug/1228626.

So it's clear that for the Gnome Shell DE the options will be found in Tweak Tool. Now the remaining issue is where this options will be for Unity users.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Thanks Romano: this makes this bug to have the status of "opinion".

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Upstream bug report is at https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=712165, not https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=711426.
But it seems it does not matter - we will receive WONTFIX soon.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

GNOME bug #712165 is a duplicate of GNOME bug #711426. This is why I'm changing it.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in 14.04 with gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu49.

[Norko (norko-solko)]

User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:25.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/25.0

In previous version of GNOME there was a window with very wide choose of available hotkeys for layout change. I talk about "Keyboard Layout Options" window, which is in gnome-control-center keyboard (select tab "Typing", click on link "Layout Settings" in left bottom corner of window, press the "Options" button in the bottom right corner of window, window "Keyboard Layout Options" is opened).

This window allows user to set many options.
It allows to set the following:
* Adding currency signs to certain keys
* Adding Esperanto circumflexes (supersigno)
* Alt/Win key behavior
* Caps Lock key behavior
* Compose key position
* Ctrl key position
* Japanese keyboard options
* Key sequence to kill the X server
* Key(s) to change layout
* Key to choose 3rd level
* Key to choose 5th level
* Miscellaneous compatibility options
* Numeric keypad delete key behavior
* Numeric keypad layout selection
* Use keyboard LED to show alternative layout
* Using space key to input non-breakable space character

In OpenSuse 13.1 with gnome-control-center 3.10.2 this setup window is missed. So user will be unable to adjust many keyboard layout parameters.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open gnome-control-center keyboard from terminal or from menus.
2. Try to find advanced settings window ("Keyboard Layout Options" as in previous versions of GNOME)
Actual Results:
User is unable to setup keyboard layout options as it was done before.

Expected Results:
User is able to setup keyboard layout options as it was done in GNOME 3.4 and 2.2x-2.3x.

The problem comes from upstream. GNOME Developers suggest to use gnome-tweak-tool for these settings. But it is not pre-installed.

They will mark linked bug (https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=712165) as WONTFIX soon.

So the aim of this bug-report is to inform OpenSuSe users about the fact that gnome-tweak-tool is a replacement of traditional gnome-control-center keyboard menus.

[Nrbrtx (nrbrtx-redhat-bugs)]

In previous version of GNOME there was a window with very wide choose of
available hotkeys for layout change. I talk about "Keyboard Layout Options"
window, which is in gnome-control-center keyboard (select tab "Typing", click
on link "Layout Settings" in left bottom corner of window, press the "Options"
button in the bottom right corner of window, window "Keyboard Layout Options"
is opened).

This window allows user to set many options.
It allows to set the following:
* Adding currency signs to certain keys
* Adding Esperanto circumflexes (supersigno)
* Alt/Win key behavior
* Caps Lock key behavior
* Compose key position
* Ctrl key position
* Japanese keyboard options
* Key sequence to kill the X server
* Key(s) to change layout
* Key to choose 3rd level
* Key to choose 5th level
* Miscellaneous compatibility options
* Numeric keypad delete key behavior
* Numeric keypad layout selection
* Use keyboard LED to show alternative layout
* Using space key to input non-breakable space character

In Fedora 20 beta with gnome-control-center 3.10.2 this setup window is missed.
So user will be unable to adjust many keyboard layout parameters.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open gnome-control-center keyboard from terminal or from menus.
2. Try to find advanced settings window ("Keyboard Layout Options" as in
previous versions of GNOME)
Actual Results:
User is unable to setup keyboard layout options as it was done before.

Expected Results:
User is able to setup keyboard layout options as it was done in GNOME 3.4 and
2.2x-2.3x.

The problem comes from upstream. GNOME Developers suggest to use
gnome-tweak-tool for these settings. But it is not pre-installed.

They will mark linked bug (https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=712165)
as WONTFIX soon.

So the aim of this bug-report is to inform Fedora users about the fact that
gnome-tweak-tool is a replacement of traditional gnome-control-center keyboard
menus.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in Ubuntu 14.04.

[Nrbrtx (nrbrtx-redhat-bugs)]

Fedora 20 final does not contain this window too.

[Sean Fitzpatrick (sean-fitzpatrick)]

Doing a Google search on this issue led me to this report, as well as the following blog post: http://www.humans-enabled.com/2013/10/ubuntu-1310-enable-controlaltbackspace.html
The author points out that it's possible to access all of these options from a terminal. (Although it would be nice it the GUI was still there...) The command

sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

brings up a pretty straightforward interface that takes you though about half a dozen keyboard options (compose key, etc). The last option is whether or not to enable Ctrl-Alt-Backspace.

[Flavelle (flavelle.ballem)]

Unfortunately, the options mentioned by Sean Fitzpatrick do not include the option for Shift with Numeric Keypad works as in MS Windows. I am quite certain that there are a number of other options that different users require that are not found in the terminal version of the reconfiguration package.

I am not the most technical of people, so I may get something wrong:

1/ Reading the above posts, I am under the impression that this option was removed in the name of simplification by upstream Gnome. If this is right, then there are two options:

- Upstream Gnome should change back and include the options as part of the keyboard layout definition utility.
- If Upstream Gnome will not make the change, then Ubuntu should include this as part of their configuration.

2/ Unless there is new information of which we are not aware, Upstream Gnome has not committed to reverting the change.

3/ Given that 14.04 is due to be released in 3 months or so, and any changes need to be tested, I would like to suggest that a utility to manage the keyboard setup should be developed for Ubuntu. I'm not so sure that it should be in the Unity Tweak tools, since the supported derivatives (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Gnubuntu, etc.) do not use Unity and therefore may not install the tweak tools for Unity.

4/ In an ideal world, the utility would be included as part of the default installation, but there may be compelling reasons (space) why this may not be possible. If the goal is still to be able to install using a CD, then the ideal world would probably not be achievable.

5/ Whatever the outcome, two things are clear:
- There needs to be a solution that includes an easy, GUI-based option to configure the various options on the keyboard, and
- If the change is not reverted by Upstream Gnome, then it is a change that needs to be properly documented and easily accessible in the Release Notes for Ubuntu 14.04.

There are a lot of us who use various keyboard configuration options and in order to continue being able to do so, we should not have to resort to 'hand editing' configuration files to use functionality that has been easily available for as long as I've used ubuntu (six years).

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Thank you for your comment, Flavelle. I totally agree with you.

As GNOME developers say - they moved all keyboard settings from gnome-control-center keyboard to gnome-tweak-tool (Typing section). But gnome-tweak-tool is not included to default Ubuntu installation.
For example, gnome-tweak-tool has aforementioned option "Shift with Numeric Keypad works as in MS Windows". I tested it under Ubuntu 14.04 a moment ago.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

I reported bug about installing gnome-tweak-tool by default on Ubuntu 14.04 (bug 1270572).

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

@ Flavelle:

Ubuntu is not longer provided in CD images, but in DVD ones.

[wijit (awijit)]

@ Norbert (nrbrtx), all settings might be moved but not all of the interface. For example, in 14.04 there is no way to set Key(s) to change layout, which now is written as Switching to another layout, to Alt+Shift and Any win key (While pressed) at the same time.

[Aliaksandr Dzeshchanka (lazy)]

Selecting in gnome-tweek-tool Right control key as a layout switcher didn't change the behavour, ist it ok?

[Jaroslav (jaroslav-redhat-bugs)]

This bug appears to have been reported against 'rawhide' during the Fedora 22 development cycle.
Changing version to '22'.

More information and reason for this action is here:
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_Program_Management/HouseKeeping/Fedora22

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in Ubuntu 15.04 beta2.

[torzsmokus (torzsmokus)]

is there any reason behind not letting the user to set any key as compose key? now there is only a predefined (incomplete) list on the GUI.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in Ubuntu 15.04 final.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in Ubuntu 15.10 alpha.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in Ubuntu 15.10 beta2.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Bug exists in Ubuntu 15.10 final.

[jpka (jopka)]

Even using gnome-tweek-tool, i can't use ScrollLock LED (physical keyboard light) as current layout indicator. This option exist but just not work. I test it on two machines with latest Ubuntu LTS release. Both machines also affected with NumLock LED Bug #1247668 . Lets turn Ubuntu to professional one, as it was crystally done five years ago. Please. One more time. If i can help with any stuff please just ask.

[Fedora (fedora-redhat-bugs)]

Fedora 22 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2016-07-19. Fedora 22 is
no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further
security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug.

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of
Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version. If you
are unable to reopen this bug, please file a new report against the
current release. If you experience problems, please add a comment to this
bug.

Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.