Re: Using .XCompose
On Mon 20 Jul 2020 at 13:20:19 (+0000), Ajith R wrote:
[> Someone else wrote:]
> > Try again, for firefox-esr (and with a ~/.XCompose file that is not
> > befouled with nonbreaking spaces).
> >
> > But make one change to the procedure. When you launch firefox-esr, do
> > so like this:
> >
> > $ env GTK_IM_MODULE=xim firefox-esr
> >
> > Let us know how that goes.
>
> I made a fresh install of Debian on an old 32 bit netbook. Before I did anything to the fresh install, I wrote just one line to the .XCompose file:
> <W> : "a long substitution"
>
> Using Kite, I tried typing W while holding down the shift key. I got just the letter "a".
> I tried to start firefox using the command above. Fire fox gave the error
> (firefox-esr:1554): Gtk-WARNING **: 15:05:11:541 : GTK+ suports to output one char only: "a long substitution": <W> : "a long substitution"
> The error was repeated 8 times (with different timetsamps) before the firefox window came up. When I tried to type W, either the W remained as such or the field showed a list of string starting with W.
Yes, my experiment with multiple characters produced the same warning.
So it's no surprise that it doesn't work. We're trusting to luck that
some applications appear to support it, at least in the case where
certain other conditions hold. What those conditions are—who knows.
> What next steps do you suggest for me? Should I submit a bug report? Where?
Not much point. The obvious reply will be to refer you to the man page:
"Compose(5) File Formats Manual Compose(5)
NAME
Compose - X client mappings for multi-key input sequences
DESCRIPTION
The X library, libX11, provides a simple input method for characters
beyond those represented on typical keyboards using sequences of key
strokes that are combined to enter a single character."
↑↑↑↑↑↑
Whether XKB can support what you're trying to do, I don't know.
Some of the static phenomena you described seem to be entirely
handled by the rendering of Unicode, and the fonts. Where the
dynamic phenomenon I've read about (the modal behaviour of Delete
and Backspace) is supported, I don't know.
My own interference with the keyboard layout is done in console-setup,
not the X configuration. I can refer you back to my first reply and
https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2019/07/msg00926.html
which gives you the entire contents of my /etc/console-setup/remap.inc
file. Note that it contains strings.
That's the file where I indulge in a little cargo-cult behaviour:
you have to configure it in a console, but previous experience has
suggested that it *might* not work properly when X is even running,
ie I either kill X, or don't startx it.
(You don't need X to test whether your edits worked, of course, so
an efficient workflow cycle of
edit/dpkg-reconfigure/test/edit/dpkg-reconfigure/test/…
involves using a text-mode editor.)
Cheers,
David.
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