this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 65 points 2 months ago (3 children)

what? it LITERALLY asks if you want to add an additional keyboard when you set it up for the first time. and adding one afterwards isn't hard.

circlejerk post.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

For what it's worth, making a custom layout actually is a huge pain in the arse. That's a pretty niche use case, but there is definitely no reason for it to be as much of a hassle as it is

[–] Prime@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I did that on Windows. It worked. It did not work for me in Linux :(

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I just changed one of the existing layouts. Very easy in any text editor, you just need to find the proper name or Unicode code for each function/character.

[–] Prime@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I see. I should try that. Thanks

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If you're using xkb, try this guide. Of course, backup any system files before modifying them, and just to be sure, add a 2nd keyboard layout as backup and know how to switch between them to have a fallback if you corrupt the primary one.

There might be TUI or GUI tools too, probably way more convenient for a one-off change on a single PC.

[–] Prime@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago

Thanks, that is a good starting point. All the GUIs I found have been deprecated, so I'll go with the purely text-based approach. At least it will be trivial to copy it to my other machines. Fingers crossed!

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You can't delete the default one it thinks you will use based on your locale, and it reverts to the default on boot. Also has the worst shortcut to silently change the layout (contol+shift)

[–] Eufalconimorph@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 months ago

I'dv deleted the default, it's never come back.

[–] PushButton@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You have to change... 1- your default OS language (download all the language files, ZzZZz) 2- change the locale 3- apply the new locale to "all", which is the login screen, current user, new created user.

Go in regional settings and adjust if needed, then reboot with a USB drive on a distro of your choice,

1- go through the installation 2- update if needed

Now you should have the desired keyboard.

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Except my layout (bepo) is not in any specific locale and was installed manually. So I don't think this would work

[–] dullbananas@lemmy.ca -1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not relevant to public computers

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Neither is the Linux one.

Also, why are you bringing keyboards to public computers‽

[–] dullbananas@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I use dvorak on the provided keyboards

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 6 points 2 months ago

I recommend against setting public computers to Dvorak.

[–] sndmn@lemmy.ca 51 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Perhaps asking in a windows forum would be more appropriate.

[–] Morphit@feddit.uk 40 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Have you tried sfc /scannow?

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

The one time this "worked" was when it broke because the drive had read errors lmao

[–] sturlabragason@lemmy.world 36 points 2 months ago

Why is insert any thing so complicated in Windows compared to GNU + Linux?

[–] boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Because Linux is just a kernel.

It is pretty easy on KDE.

[–] thingsiplay@beehaw.org 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Because Linux is just a kernel.

This is too short. Here is the long form: https://www.gnu.org/gnu/incorrect-quotation.en.html

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

[–] boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 months ago

Excuse me Mr Stallman

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 13 points 2 months ago (3 children)

They manage to make it so complicated it's a whole thing to even just delete the default keyboard layout it thinks should be the default for your language too, if it stops adding it back at all.

I want "French (Canada)", not " Canadian multilangual english CSA" or "Canadian multilangual french CSA".

It's not like any of them even matches the US keyboards we end up using anyway, everyone knows the labels on the keycaps never matches what key it actually prints. Just let me pick the god damn layout I want.

On Mac it's even worse because you have to install it from some random dude's GitHub, and because it's a third-party layout, it straight up won't let you delete the default one just in case, and I have to switch it back whenever it mysteriously decides to switch to the other one on its own for no reason.

On Linux: loadkeys cf and done.

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 months ago

Personally on Mac I never had to change my layout again, and if I had to it's just an icon to click and it stays that way. On windows however, like you said, it's a nightmare

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago

I face the same specific issue. I started with the French (Canada) layout years ago but now Windows sets the default to Multilingual/CSA because it has been made the official one by the government a number of years ago.

So now everyone that got used the "old" one has to fiddle with keyboard settings every time they use a new Windows session/computer.

And it's not exactly a breeze to switch, as Windows often keeps the multilingual one and switches back to it when you use a different application. Gotta make sure to delete the multilingual and leave only one layout. It's a real annoyance.

[–] Frederic@beehaw.org 1 points 2 months ago

I'm with you on the french canadian keyboard, in a recent W11 laptop I got from work, it's damn complicated to go in the settings, languages, etc and finally find the option to change keyboard layout! And sometimes if you have more than one kb, the system switch from one to another with some secret combo keys or damn god whatnot. I removed the US keyboard and just keep the FR_CA one.

[–] jbloggs777@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don't know about these days, but I remember making a custom layout for Windows back in 2005 that was US Qwerty keyboard plus AltGR+auose for äüö߀ (German umlauts and euro symbol).

I forget how I did it, as I haven't used Windows for serious work in years.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 6 points 2 months ago

Presumably you downloaded Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC), which I still had to do to make a custom keyboard layout in 2022. Funnily enough I was also wanting to use AltGr to add diacritics to vowels, because I don't want to have to go to the backtick key for àèìòù

[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It's just WIN + Spacebar, or click the keyboard layout icon in the taskbar.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Win + spacebar doesn't work in some cases and if something is opened in fullscreen, closing it isn't very convenient. The actual key binding that works is alt + shift I think.

[–] MicrowavedTea@infosec.pub 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Technically alt + shift changes between languages and ctrl + shift changes between layouts within the current language. Win + spacebar circles through all of them. So if you want to change from qwerty to dvorak I don't think alt + shift will work, at least in windows 10.

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

I absolutely hate that there are 3 ways to change my keyboard layouts. I very often hit control shift and since it's hidden that the layout was changed I wonder why the last sentence I wrote is gibberish...

[–] dullbananas@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] saigot@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago

Go to language and region > click 3 dots for your language > language options > add a keyboard > add Dvorak (or whatever). Then either remove the qwerty layout or do win+space to actually select the keyboard layout.

[–] GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

damn, must have taken you a few nights to come up with this one

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

This is a Linux community. Not sure what you imagine most people here think of windows..

[–] Giooschi@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

If you think this is normal then imagine what other people think of the linux community though!

But here's the issue: the parent comment didn't even provide reasons why they think Windows sucks or examples/episodes where this was a problem for them. It adds nothing to the discussion, just free hate.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world -4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

you are the reason people hate Linux users, you cant just let people do what they want, always has to be some competition and "windows sucks".

just be normal, windows has its place whether it's for you or not.

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah it has its place. Just not in a Linux community. Is that hard to understand?

[–] thingsiplay@beehaw.org 3 points 2 months ago
[–] savvywolf@pawb.social 5 points 2 months ago

"Wait, you all aren't American?"

[–] Hildegarde@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I've not used windows regularly since XP but I recall being very confused that the keyboard layout setting defaults to being per-application rather than syatemwide. Don't know if that's how its still done and I have no reason to care.

[–] CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Which is actually my preference. How do you get per application keyboard settings for Linux? Seems like it’s not usually built in.