There is an option in the configuration menu to change the colours of the keyboard/background and the keys/buttons.
The 14.0.9 build has been updated with a backport from the development version. The many enhancements include setting key and/or background colours, and displaying level 3 & 4 characters where the xkb/symbols definitions include using the AltGr [ralt] key.
The keyboard colour change is immediate, but a change of key colour requires a restart of Kvkbd after the new colour has been selected.
Build-time options to be hard-coded into the app are:
If you can supply a patch to make the key colour change immediate, please open a pull request, or attach it to an issue.
[1] Use Win keys
a] as modifier keys
The default use for the \Zb\Z6LWin\Zn and \Zb\Z6RWin\Zn keys on the \Zb\Z6Kvkbd\Zn keyboard is set as modifier keys to map a number of characters or functions and to 'lock' for the next key click - this is to simulate holding down the key on a physical keyboard.
or b] for characters set with xmodmap.
Alternatively, using xmodmap they can map to characters set by a user - this will generate a keycode on a single click.
[2] Alternative text on the num pad keys.
For example:
|Ho|
|me| can be replaced with |H←|, which is a better fit on the keys.
[3] Small icons can be shown on the buttons if the keyboard is to be used at the default size.
[4] Show blank keys where AltGr doesn't produce a character.
3rd and 4th level character sets on a keyboard generally don't cover the full set of keys.
Select this option to see only those characters which AltGr generates.
<sbr/>It can be used instead of a physical keyboard or for devices with a touch screen but no keyboard.
<sbr/>It is also useful to quickly test a keyboard mapping to locate some keys.
<sbr/>It can be used with, or instead of, a physical keyboard or for devices with a touch screen but no keyboard.
<sbr/>It is also useful for displaying a keyboard mapping to identify what characters are defined.
</chapter>
@ -81,23 +82,31 @@ When first launched, &kvkbd; will appear in the bottom-right corner of the scree
<mediaobject><imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="kvkbd.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject></mediaobject>
<sbr/>
To use the numeric keypad, click the double arrow <guiicon><inlinegraphic fileref="num-pad-btn.png"/></guiicon> on the right.
<sbr/>The Num pad display can be toggled by clicking on the Num Lock key <keycap>№</keycap>.
<mediaobject><imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="num-pad.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject></mediaobject>
To display and select the shift characters, use both &Shift; keys:
<sbr/> • Click either &Shift; key, which will 'lock', and then the other &Shift; key and the shift characters will be displayed.
<sbr/>
To display and select the shift characters:
<sbr/> • Click either &Shift; key, which will 'lock', and the shift characters will be displayed.
<sbr/> • Then click on the character to print it.
<sbr/><sbr/>Otherwise, if you know which key the shift character is on, then the expected behaviour applies, and &Shift; <keycap>'key'</keycap> will print it.
&Caps; can be used with &AltGr; & &AltGr;+&Shift; and mostly gives the correct display, but may not depending on how the unicode character has been defined.
</sect1>
<sect1 id="config-menu">
@ -107,11 +116,11 @@ The &kvkbd; configuration menu is accessible by clicking on the configuration bu
Select "<emphasis role="bold">Font</emphasis>" to choose the font used to display the characters on the keys.
<sbr/><sbr/>Check "<emphasis role="bold">Auto Resize Font</emphasis>" to resize the font when &kvkbd; is resized.
<sbr/><sbr/>Select "<emphasis role="bold">Keyboard color</emphasis>" to choose a colour for the keyboard [background].
Select "<emphasis role="bold">Font</emphasis>" to choose the font used to display the characters and text on the keys.
<sbr/>Allows selection of the style and size.
<sbr/><sbr/>Check "<emphasis role="bold">Auto Resize Font</emphasis>" for the font size to change as the keyboard is resized.
<sbr/><sbr/>Select "<emphasis role="bold">Background color</emphasis>" to choose a colour for the keyboard background.
<sbr/><sbr/>Select "<emphasis role="bold">Key color</emphasis>" to choose a colour for the keys/buttons.
<sbr/>&kvkbd; needs to be restarted for the chosen colour to display.
<sbr/><sbr/>Check "<emphasis role="bold">Dock Widget</emphasis>" to display a small dock which can be placed anywhere on screen.
<sbr/>Click on the dock to hide or show the virtual keyboard.
<sbr/><sbr/>Check "<emphasis role="bold">Lock on screen</emphasis>" to fix the position and size of the keyboard on the screen.
@ -121,11 +130,17 @@ Select "<emphasis role="bold">Font</emphasis>" to choose the font used to displa
<sect1 id="keys">
<title>Keys</title>
The &kvkbd; keyboard is based on the US layout with an extra key to the right of Left &Shift; for non-US keyboards - the extra key duplicates <emphasis role="bold"><</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">></emphasis> characters on the US keyboard.
The &kvkbd; keyboard is based on the US layout with an extra key to the right of Left &Shift; for non-US keyboards - the extra key duplicates the '<emphasis role="bold"><</emphasis>' and '<emphasis role="bold">></emphasis>' characters on the US keyboard.
<sbr/><sbr/>
For non-US keyboards, the key which is normally lower left of the &Enter; key is placed above the &Enter; key.
<sbr/><sbr/>
Where set up in the keyboard mapping file, &AltGr; will enable selection of the character mapped to the lower right of any key, and &AltGr; &Shift; for any upper right character.
&AltGr; will enable selection of the character mapped to the lower right of any key, and &AltGr; &Shift; for any upper right character where they have been set up in the keyboard mapping file [<filename><path_to>/X11/xkb/symbols/</filename>].
<sbr/>
<emphasis role="bold">Note</emphasis> that there are two possible gotchas in displaying the &AltGr; characters:
<sbr/>
• they tend to be less commonly used and might not have glyphs in the font being used,
<sbr/>
• the keyboard mapping file needs to <emphasis role="bold">include "level3(ralt_switch)"</emphasis> for the variant being used.
<sbr/><sbr/>
The &Shift;, &Ctrl;, <keycap>Alt*</keycap> keys 'lock' when clicked to simulate holding down a key on a physical keyboard.
<sbr/>
@ -136,7 +151,7 @@ Whether the <keycap>*Win</keycap> keys 'lock' will depend on the build time opti
<title>Dead Keys</title>
Using &Shift; and/or &AltGr; which need press and hold on a physical keyboard will need click only for &kvkbd;.
<sbr/><sbr/>For example, using the AD11 key [ ˆ ] on the oss variant of the French[fr]/azerty keyboard:
<sbr/><sbr/>For example, using the AD11 key [ ˆ ] on the oss variant of the French keyboard:
[§] <emphasis>See /etc/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.lst for a list of layouts, variants, and options.</emphasis>
</sect1>
@ -225,7 +279,7 @@ Add <filename>kvkbd.desktop</filename> to the &tde; Autostart directory for &kvk
<sect1 id="layout-switching">
<title>Layout switching</title>
&kvkbd; will dynamically switch keyboard layouts as they are changed, either through the command line or using the &tde; Keyboard Tool.
&kvkbd; will dynamically switch keyboard layouts as they are changed, either through the command line, with <command>setxkbmap</command>, or using the &tde; Keyboard Tool.
<sbr/><sbr/>
Refer to the <ulink url='help:/kxkb/index.html'>&kxkb; Handbook</ulink> for details on keyboard layout switching.
@ -242,7 +296,7 @@ Refer to the <ulink url='help:/kxkb/index.html'>&kxkb; Handbook</ulink> for deta
<sect1 id="key-mapping">
<title>Key mapping</title>
Using the compose option for <command id="compose-option">setxkbmap</command>, it could be useful for example to set the <keycap>Menu</keycap> key as the compose key to set up user specified characters or character strings.
Using the compose option for <command id="compose-option">setxkbmap</command>, it could be useful for example to set <keycap>Menu</keycap> as the compose key to set up user specified characters or character strings.
<formalpara>
<title>Examples</title>
@ -251,7 +305,7 @@ Using the compose option for <command id="compose-option">setxkbmap</command>, i
<literallayout><emphasis role="bold">Add the Euro symbol for a US keyboard</emphasis> <link linkend='one'>[¹]</link>
<sbr/>&xmmp; can be used to assign keycodes to any key.
<sbr/><sbr/>If &kvkbd; has been built for the <keycap>Win</keycap> keys to function as non-control keys, they can conveniently be used for frequently used characters which might otherwise be more cumbersome to generate.
<sbr/><sbr/>If &kvkbd; has been built for the <keycap>Win</keycap> keys not to function as modifier keys, they can conveniently be used for frequently used characters which might otherwise be more cumbersome to generate.
<sbr/><sbr/>For example, the <emphasis role="bold">"</emphasis> and <emphasis role="bold">*</emphasis> characters on a gb keyboard are &Shift;+<keycap>2</keycap> and &Shift;+<keycap>8</keycap>, and they could be assigned to the Win keys:
@ -286,7 +340,7 @@ Then <keycap>LWin</keycap> would print <emphasis role="bold">"</emphasis> and <k
Create a character that doesn't have a direct unicode mapping, but is composed of unicode characters in the font being used.
<sbr/><sbr/>
As an example -- a-ogonek [U<emphasis role="bold">0105</emphasis>] + combining acute [U<emphasis role="bold">0301</emphasis>] -- <emphasis role="bold">ą́</emphasis>́
As an example -- a-ogonek 'ą' [U<emphasis role="bold">0105</emphasis>] + combining acute '´' [U<emphasis role="bold">0301</emphasis>]́
<sbr/><sbr/>
Add the character and chosen key combination to the ~/.XCompose file:
@ -299,7 +353,7 @@ Test:
<sbr/>
• Start new editor
<sbr/>
• Print the character:<keycap>Menu</keycap><keycap>space</keycap><keycap>a</keycap>
• Print the character:<keycap>Menu</keycap><keycap>space</keycap><keycap>a</keycap> → <emphasis role="bold">ą́</emphasis>
The \Zb\Z6LWin\Zn and \Zb\Z6RWin\Zn keys on the \Zb\Z6Kvkbd\Zn keyboard are set to 'lock'for the next key click.
See the README for further details ..
If they're to be used as control keys to map a number of characters or functions, then they need to be set to \Zr\Z4\ZbLock\Zn while the next key is clicked - this is to simulate holding down the key on a physical keyboard.
[1] Use Win keys either as modifier keys,
or for characters set with xmodmap.
If they will only be used as alternatively mapped keys using xmodmap, then they will need to be set to generate a keycode on a single click - \Z1N\Zb\Z0o Lock\Zn.
[2] Alternative text on the num pad keys.
[3] Show small icons on the buttons.
[4] Show blank keys where AltGr doesn't produce a character.
Ray-V
4 years ago
