Keyboard Layout in Slim

[Solour]

Hi,

I am using X/slim/xfce.
When logging in the first time after a reboot I have to type in my password as if I am using a us-keyboard layout.
Every further login (for example after locking the screen) happens with my desired german keyboard layout.

I guess there are obvious questions to ask on how I configured my system.

Code: Select all

# cat ./xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "de"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
        Option "XkbVariant" "qwertz"
        Option "XkbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
EndSection

# cat ./Sessions/Xfce
startxfce4

Any ideas?

[sdoubleyou]

What do you have in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf?

You can change your keyboard-layout there

Code: Select all

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev keyboard catchall"
        ...
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "xkb_layout" "de"
EndSection

read this https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Evdev#Keyboard_layout and https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SL ... ard_Layout

[Solour]

Thanks!
It worked when I also added the variant.
I am wondering whether xkb_layout or XkbLayout is better (more recent/recommended).
The documentations behind the two links do not agree.

Code: Select all

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev keyboard catchall"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "XkbLayout" "de"
        Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
EndSection

[Fitzcarraldo]

I have not used SLiM for several years, but I noticed a couple of generic things straight away in the file you posted:

1. You can delete or comment-out the XkbOptions line because you do not have multiple keyboard layouts specified in the file.

2. "qwertz" is not listed in /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst as an available XkbVariant for the "de" XkbLayout:

Code: Select all

$ grep "de\:" /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst
  deadacute       de: German (dead acute)
  deadgraveacute  de: German (dead grave acute)
  nodeadkeys      de: German (eliminate dead keys)
  T3              de: German (T3)
  ro              de: Romanian (Germany)
  ro_nodeadkeys   de: Romanian (Germany, eliminate dead keys)
  dvorak          de: German (Dvorak)
  sundeadkeys     de: German (Sun dead keys)
  neo             de: German (Neo 2)
  mac             de: German (Macintosh)
  mac_nodeadkeys  de: German (Macintosh, eliminate dead keys)
  dsb             de: Lower Sorbian
  dsb_qwertz      de: Lower Sorbian (qwertz)
  qwerty          de: German (qwerty)
  tr              de: Turkish (Germany)
  ru              de: Russian (Germany, phonetic)
  deadtilde       de: German (dead tilde)

so I think you could also delete or comment out the XkbVariant line in the .conf file, as the "de" XkbLayout is QWERTZ by default anyway.

If the above changes do not solve your problem, I notice that the Arch Linux Wiki page on keyboard configuration in X Windows lists the same file (albeit for mutliple, toggle-able keyboard layouts) as you have used, whereas the Arch Linux Wiki page for SLiM states:

Change Keyboard Layout

Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf, find the following section, add the two bolded lines, and replace dvorak with your preferred keymap:

Section "InputClass"
     Identifier "evdev keyboard catchall"
     MatchIsKeyboard "on"
     MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
     Driver "evdev"

     # Keyboard layouts
     Option "XkbLayout" "dvorak"
EndSection

so you could try the following /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf instead:

Code: Select all

Section  "InputClass"
          Identifier "evdev keyboard catchall"
          MatchIsKeyboard "on"
          MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
          Driver "evdev"
       
          # Keyboard layouts
          Option "XkbLayout" "de"
EndSection

EDIT: Oops, sdoubleyou beat me to it.