my own Keyboard Layout for Avestan does no more work in Ubuntu 12.04

[Ernst Tremel]

I proceeded like described in
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=188761&highlight=layout&page=4

But when I tried to add this new keyboard layout
"Avestan"
or any other like
"Indisch" or "Tamil"
I get this error messages

Fehler beim Aktivieren der XKB-Konfiguration.
Dies kann verschiedene Gründe haben.

Falls Sie dies als Fehler melden, fügen Sie
die Ausgaben folgender Befehle bei:
 • xprop -root | grep XKB
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options

ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "", "grp:ctrl_alt_toggle"
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ ^C
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
''
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ ^C
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
['de', 'ir\tavestan', 'in', 'in\ttam']
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options
['grp\tgrp:ctrl_alt_toggle']
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$

ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de,in,in", ",,tam", "grp:shift_caps_toggle,grp:ctrl_alt_toggle"
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
''
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
['de', 'in', 'in\ttam', 'ir\tavestan']
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options
['grp\tgrp:shift_caps_toggle', 'grp\tgrp:ctrl_alt_toggle']
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$

How to solve this problems.

PS: In former Ubuntu Versions there were no problems adding this new "Avestan" keyboard layout

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: ubuntu-docs 12.04.5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-26.41-generic-pae 3.2.19
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-26-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu11
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Jul 22 19:15:16 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=de:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 LC_MESSAGES=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubuntu-docs
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-26 (87 days ago)

[Ernst Tremel (etremel)]

In addition to this Bug-Report:
I plead to implement Avestan in Ubuntu 12.04

Hello,

as you may see at my homepage

http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/
DEVANAGARI
Avestan
Avestan font (http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/Ahuramazda/AhuramzdaFont.htm)

I made an OpenType Font for the Avestan language
and an Avestan Keyboard Layout for Ubuntu Versions 10.04 ff.
("How to install the Keyboard Layout and the font in Ubuntu 10.04.
To these belongs “avestan.txt”, too.")
(http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/Ahuramazda/Avestan-keyboard-installieren.pdf)

To get this keyboard layout working there are only three files to be changed in Ubuntu:
1. ir
in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/ir
2. base.xml
in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.xml
3. evdev.xml
in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml

I add these three files "three-Files.zip"
and the font "Ahuramazda-Avestan-Font-1.0.zip"
to this E Mail hoping to get it implemented
either in Ubuntu 12.04 or in the next Version 12.10.

Kind regards,
Ernst Tremel

[Ernst Tremel (etremel)]

Plead to implement Avestan in Ubuntu 12.04

Hello,

as you may see at my homepage

http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/
DEVANAGARI
Avestan
Avestan font (http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/Ahuramazda/AhuramzdaFont.htm)

I made an OpenType Font for the Avestan language
and an Avestan Keyboard Layout for Ubuntu Versions 10.04 ff.
("How to install the Keyboard Layout and the font in Ubuntu 10.04.
To these belongs “avestan.txt”, too.")
(http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/Ahuramazda/Avestan-keyboard-installieren.pdf)

To get this keyboard layout working there are only three files to be changed in Ubuntu:
1. ir
in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/ir
2. base.xml
in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.xml
3. evdev.xml
in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml

I add these three files "three-Files.zip"
and the font "Ahuramazda-Avestan-Font-1.0.zip"
to this E Mail hoping to get it implemented
either in Ubuntu 12.04 or in the next Version 12.10.

Kind regards,
Ernst Tremel

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Simos Xenitellis  (simosx)]

This bug is a configuration issue with xkeyboard-config.
Currently, xkeyboard-config does not allow to add new keyboard layouts, so users end up adding them manually.

If something changes in the settings, then the older manual instructions may not work and need updating.

[Ernst Tremel (etremel)]

There were some GNOME updates, but still it is not possible to make my Avestan keyboard layout working

• xprop -root | grep XKB
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options

ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de,in,in", ",,tam", "grp:shift_caps_toggle,grp:ctrl_alt_toggle"
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
''
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
['de', 'in', 'in\ttam', 'ir\tavestan']
ernst@UbuntuErnst:~$ gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options
['grp\tgrp:shift_caps_toggle', 'grp\tgrp:ctrl_alt_toggle']

[Ernst Tremel (etremel)]

After the update from August 10 th 2012 to
Linux 3.2.0-29 generic-pae
the problem of not being able to install my Avestan keyboard layout
still continued.

I'll add the results for
 • xprop -root | grep XKB
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options

 • xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "", ""

 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard model
''

 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard layouts
['de', 'in', 'in\ttam', 'ir\tavestan']

 • gsettings get org.gnome.libgnomekbd.keyboard options
['grp\tgrp:shift_caps_toggle', 'grp\tgrp:ctrl_alt_toggle']

[Ernst Tremel (etremel)]

In these web sites you may see the importance of Avestan languge
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/avestan.htm
http://www.avesta.org/language/vocab.htm
http://www.alanwood.net/unicode/avestan.html
http://www.avesta.org/language/writing.htm
http://www.avesta.org/avesta.html
http://translate.google.de/translate?hl=de&langpair=en|de&u=http://skyknowledge.com/new-avestan.htm
http://www.avesta.org/Desai%20Learning%20Avesta%20Compendium/Desai%20Learning%20Avesta%20Compendium_opf_files/slideshow.htm
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~iranian/
http://www.avesta.org/kanga/dictionary_opf_files/
http://www.avesta.org/kanga/grammar_opf_files/

[Ernst Tremel (etremel)]

I checked the keyboard layouts' list and I neither found "Avestan" nor
"Iran-Avestan" nor "Persian-Iran-Avestan" nor the German equivalents
"Awestisch" nor Persisch-Awestisch"

And when I proceed as Simos Xenitelis suggested:

A. Open the Dash and type 'dconf'. The dconf-editor app should appear.
If not, then install from the Software Centre the 'dconf-editor' app.

B. In dconf-editor, navigate to

/org/gnome/libgnomekbd/keyboard/

C. Change the 'layouts' file to include Avestan.

for example

BEFORE: ['us', 'gr']
AFTER: ['us', 'gr', 'ir\tave']

the new Avestan keyboard is functioning.

But it is not shown in the keaboards' list as
"Avestan" or (in German) as "Awestisch")
but as "Persian" (in German as "Persisch")

But it should have been shown as "Avestan" resp. "Persian-Avestan" or
"Iran-Avestan"
(in German as "Awestisch" or "Persisch-Awestisch")