XFCE keyboard switcher doesn't show variant label

[Fabián Rodríguez]

Binary package hint: xfce4-xkb-plugin

I have my keyboard layout configured as follows in /etc/X11/xorg.conf :

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver "kbd"
        Option "CoreKeyboard"
        Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us,us"
        Option "XkbVariant" ",alt-intl"
EndSection

XFCE keyboard switcher shows only the keyboard layout text label without the keyboard layout variant (in this case Alternative International for the 2nd layout).

Expected behavior: XFCE keyboard switcher should show the layout and variant information.

Similarly, a hint indicating the variant is changing could be added to the flag icon display. I think this is what the same applet in Gnome does.

[Jani Monoses (jani)]

the variant label can be very long compared to the layout code (two letters) and would make the panel area taken too large (and ugly)

[Fabián Rodríguez (magicfab)]

I believe this shouldn't be a "wishlist" bug report, as Xubuntu / XFCE are targetted to many low-end PCs and many of those are most likely outside USA, where this becomes an important usability problem for anyone using anything else than a standard US layout. I understand to even configure an alternate keyboard under XFCE at this point there is no "friendly" way unless you do it with the gnome tools first. Regardless, I think the way it's displayed is part of fixing the overall usability problem for anyone wishing to have keyboard variants. An XFCE bug talks about adding layout config options to this applet config dialog:
http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1901

I think my initial report wasn't very precise. I lacked some information which I think I can provide now. The variant *label description* can be very long, but the label itself is at most 22 characters, most being aroun 7~ 10. I checked this in this file:
/usr/lib/X11/xkb/rules/xfree86.lst

However, even 7~10 characters is too long to show.

Ultimately, this should be as configurable as the date-hour settings which permit using a variable-based template.

The way variants are used, I think, is mostly as a modification of an existing keyboard layout. For example, US becomes US - International. This is in effect the keyboard layout code plus the keyboard variant description.

I suggest to have the keyboard layout plus variant description as a hint (mouse-over bubble/dialog), which would make it friendly to its panel space. This, again, should be configurable by variables.

In the panel applet space, I think Gnome uses an asterisk (*) to differentiate between a variant and its standard layout. So, if I follow my configuration example, If I had only one variant for US, repeatedly changing the layout would show US and US(*) only in the applet panel (or a flag with a distinctive mark). Hovering over it would show the keyboard layout plus variant description (US - International).

Any other suggestions welcome.

[Magicfab-h (magicfab-h)]

User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; fr; rv:1.8.0.7) Gecko/20060921 Ubuntu/dapper-security Firefox/1.5.0.7
Build Identifier:

Initially reported at:
https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/xfce4-xkb-plugin/+bug/43185

Additional keyboard variants are not shown properly/fully in a descriptive manner in the keyboard switcher applet in XFCE.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Add an alternat keyboard variant in /etc/X11/xorg.conf :
Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver "kbd"
        Option "CoreKeyboard"
        Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us,us"
        Option "XkbVariant" ",alt-intl"
EndSection

2. Logout, then login again
3. Add keyboard applet to XFCE panel
4. switch among keyboards by clicking on the applet
Actual Results:
XFCE keyboard switcher shows only the keyboard layout text label without the keyboard layout variant (in this case Alternative International for the 2nd layout).

Similarly, a hint indicating the variant is changing could be added to the flag icon display. I think this is what the same applet in Gnome does.

Expected Results:
XFCE keyboard switcher should show the layout and variant information.

This is a major usability problem for anyone using anything else than a standard US layout. I understand to even configure an alternate keyboard under XFCE at this point there is no "friendly" way unless you do it with the gnome tools first. Regardless, I think the way it's displayed is part of fixing the overall usability problem for anyone wishing to have keyboard variants. Another XFCE bug talks about adding layout config options to this applet config dialog:
http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1901

The variant *label description* can be very long, but the label itself is at most 22 characters, most being aroun 7~ 10. I checked this in this file:
/usr/lib/X11/xkb/rules/xfree86.lst

However, even 7~10 characters is too long to show.

Ultimately, this should be as configurable as the date-hour settings which permit using a variable-based template.

The way variants are used, I think, is mostly as a modification of an existing keyboard layout. For example, US becomes US - International. This is in effect the keyboard layout code plus the keyboard variant description.

I suggest to have the keyboard layout plus variant description as a hint (mouse-over bubble/dialog), which would make it friendly to its panel space. This, again, should be configurable by variables.

In the panel applet space, I think Gnome uses an asterisk (*) to differentiate between a variant and its standard layout. So, if I follow my configuration example, If I had only one variant for US, repeatedly changing the layout would show US and US(*) only in the applet panel (or a flag with a distinctive mark). Hovering over it would show the keyboard layout plus variant description (US - International).

Any other suggestions welcome.

[Fabián Rodríguez (magicfab)]

Reported upstream.

[Jérôme Guelfucci (jerome-guelfucci-deactivatedaccount)]

Thank you for your bug report. Do you still have this issue in Xubuntu Feisty or Gutsy ?

[Andrew (andrew-rw-robinson)]

Gutsy still does not have this support. US and US-dvorak are not distinguishable for example

[Fabián Rodríguez (magicfab)]

Very much so, yes, same issue in both.

[Jeromeg (jeromeg)]

This still seems to be a problem.

[Jérôme Guelfucci (jerome-guelfucci-deactivatedaccount)]

Ok thank you.

[Skipper13 (skipper13)]

The same bug on Arch Linux
http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/8595
====================================
After upgrade xfce4-xkb-plugin doesn't show flag for "RU" and "UK" but PNG-files have been. Plugin showes US flag only. For other languages showes "(null)" string.

Additional info:
* xfce4-xkb-plugin 0.4.3-3
*
/etc/X11/xorg.conf
===================
Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us,ru,ua"
Option "XkbOptions" "grp:ctrl_shift_toggle"
EndSection
===================

ls /usr/share/xfce4/xkb/flags/{ru,uk}.png -l
===================
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 215 Apr 16 2007 /usr/share/xfce4/xkb/flags/ru.png
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1210 Apr 16 2007 /usr/share/xfce4/xkb/flags/uk.png
===================

When I change keyboard layout plugin write to log error message
===================
(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed

(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed

(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed

(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed

(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed

(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed

(xfce4-xkb-plugin:8319): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_utf8_strdown: assertion `str != NULL' failed
===================

[Benson Margulies (bimargulies)]

I may be experiencing a simpler variation.

I installed Hebrew and Arabic language packs on Hardy. My keyboard switcher does not show me either of them. Do I really have to manually hack the xorg conf to use multiple keyboard layouts with xfce4?

[dhave (chaslaw)]

Count me as another user who would very much like to have a way to distinguish US from US-Intl keyboards. As it stands, the same text ("US") or flag icon is displayed for both variants. I understand the limitation described above, but it seems there must be some reasonable solution. I could live with the US/US* suggestion. Even better would be the option to define the label ourselves, as is possible with the KDE keyboard switcher utility. When I used to use KDE, I chose the two labels "US" and "Intl" to be displayed. That way I at least knew what which variant was active, and whether my attempt to toggle was successful.

Thanks!

[Jean-François Wauthy (pollux-xfce)]

*** Bug 3409 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Sia Neriman (sia-neriman)]

if the plugin dosn't worked fine for you?
can you use
 XKbOptions
for Alt+Shift to change the keyboard layout:
 Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"

more info her
http://www.xfree86.org/current/XKB-Config2.html

;)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package xfce4-xkb-plugin - 0.5.1-0ubuntu1

---------------
xfce4-xkb-plugin (0.5.1-0ubuntu1) jaunty; urgency=low

  * Sync from Debian Xfce SVN Unreleased
    - Once 4.4.3 is uploaded to Debian, this package should
      be synced, there is no Ubuntu delta
  * Closes:
    - xfce4-xkb-plugin should be updated to include GUI-manageble keyboard
      layout switcher shortcut (LP: #290255)
    - XFCE keyboard switcher doesn't show variant label (LP: #43185)
    - xfce4-xkb-plugin crashed with SIGSEGV (LP: #122851).

xfce4-xkb-plugin (0.5.1-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low

  [ Simon Huggins ]
  * debian/control: Move fake Homepage field to a real one now dpkg
    supports it.
  * Add Vcs-* headers to debian/control

  [ Yves-Alexis Perez ]
  * New upstream release.
    - fix mispell in README file. closes: #445335
    - now displays variant. closes: #496183, #434124
  * debian/control:
    - add myself to Uploaders:, remove Rudy Godoy and Martin Loschwitz.
    - update standards version to 3.8.0.
    - add build-dep on libxklavier12-dev, librsvg2-dev, libwnck-dev.
  * debian/copyright: update dates and copyright owners.

 -- Lionel Le Folgoc <email address hidden> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:05:40 +0100

[Igor-slepchin (igor-slepchin)]

In the current version (0.5.6) the variant is shown in the balloon text activated on the mouseover; if multiple variants of the same layout are configured, they are visually differentiated by adding "dots" to the layout name (similar to the asterisk trick described in comment #1). This seems to satisfy the requirements.