Consider the following XKB layout:
xkb_keymap {
xkb_keycodes {
<ESC> = 9;
<FK01> = 67;
<FK02> = 68;
<FK03> = 69;
<FK04> = 70;
<FK05> = 71;
<FK06> = 72;
<FK07> = 73;
<FK08> = 74;
<FK09> = 75;
<FK10> = 76;
<FK11> = 95;
<FK12> = 96;
<INS> = 118;
<DELE> = 119;
<HOME> = 110;
<END> = 115;
<PGUP> = 112;
<PGDN> = 117;
<TLDE> = 49;
<AE01> = 10;
<AE02> = 11;
<AE03> = 12;
<AE04> = 13;
<AE05> = 14;
<AE06> = 15;
<AE07> = 16;
<AE08> = 17;
<AE09> = 18;
<AE10> = 19;
<AE11> = 20;
<AE12> = 21;
<BKSP> = 22;
<TAB> = 23;
<AD01> = 24;
<AD02> = 25;
<AD03> = 26;
<AD04> = 27;
<AD05> = 28;
<AD06> = 29;
<AD07> = 30;
<AD08> = 31;
<AD09> = 32;
<AD10> = 33;
<AD11> = 34;
<AD12> = 35;
<BKSL> = 51;
<CAPS> = 66;
<AC01> = 38;
<AC02> = 39;
<AC03> = 40;
<AC04> = 41;
<AC05> = 42;
<AC06> = 43;
<AC07> = 44;
<AC08> = 45;
<AC09> = 46;
<AC10> = 47;
<AC11> = 48;
<RTRN> = 36;
<LFSH> = 50;
<AB01> = 52;
<AB02> = 53;
<AB03> = 54;
<AB04> = 55;
<AB05> = 56;
<AB06> = 57;
<AB07> = 58;
<AB08> = 59;
<AB09> = 60;
<AB10> = 61;
<RTSH> = 62;
<LCTL> = 37;
<LWIN> = 133;
<LALT> = 64;
<SPCE> = 65;
<RALT> = 108;
<RWIN> = 134;
<MENU> = 135;
<RCTL> = 105;
<UP> = 111;
<LEFT> = 113;
<DOWN> = 116;
<RGHT> = 114;
<NMLK> = 77;
<KPDV> = 106;
<KPMU> = 63;
<KPSU> = 82;
<KP7> = 79;
<KP8> = 80;
<KP9> = 81;
<KPAD> = 86;
<KP4> = 83;
<KP5> = 84;
<KP6> = 85;
<KP1> = 87;
<KP2> = 88;
<KP3> = 89;
<KPEN> = 104;
<KP0> = 90;
<KPDL> = 91;
};
xkb_types {
type "ONE_LEVEL" {
modifiers = none;
level_name[Level1] = "Any";
};
type "TWO_LEVEL" {
modifiers = none;
level_name[Level1] = "Base";
};
type "ALPHABETIC" {
modifiers = none;
level_name[Level1] = "Base";
};
type "KEYPAD" {
modifiers = none;
level_name[Level1] = "Base";
};
type "MULTI" {
modifiers = Shift+Mod3+Mod5;
map[Shift] = Level2;
map[Mod3] = Level3;
map[Shift+Mod3] = Level4;
map[Mod5] = Level5;
map[Shift+Mod5] = Level6;
map[Mod3+Mod5] = Level7;
map[Shift+Mod3+Mod5] = Level8;
level_name[Level1] = "Base";
level_name[Level2] = "Shift";
level_name[Level3] = "Alt";
level_name[Level4] = "Shift Alt";
level_name[Level5] = "Control";
level_name[Level6] = "Control Shift";
level_name[Level7] = "Control Alt";
level_name[Level8] = "Control Shift Alt";
};
};
xkb_compatibility {
interpret Any + Any{
action = SetMods(mods=modMapMods);
};
interpret ISO_Next_Group {
action = LockGroup(group=+1);
};
indicator "Shift" {
modifiers = Shift;
};
};
xkb_symbols {
key.type = "MULTI";
key <ESC> {[Escape]};
key <FK01> {[U2010]}; # hyphen
key <FK02> {[U2011]}; # non-breaking hyphen
key <FK03> {[U00AD]}; # soft hyphen
key <FK04> {[U200B]}; # zero width space
key <FK05> {[leftdoublequotemark], [guillemotleft]};
key <FK06> {[rightdoublequotemark], [guillemotright]};
key <FK07> {[leftsinglequotemark], [doublelowquotemark]};
key <FK08> {[rightsinglequotemark], [leftdoublequotemark]};
key <FK09> {[endash]};
key <FK10> {[emdash]};
key <FK11> {[ellipsis, U22EF]}; # cdots
key <FK12> {[nobreakspace, U2060]}; # word joiner
key <INS> {[Insert]};
key <DELE> {[Delete]};
key <HOME> {[Home]};
key <END> {[End]};
key <PGUP> {[Prior]};
key <PGDN> {[Next]};
key <TLDE> {[grave, asciitilde, dead_grave, dead_tilde, dead_doublegrave, dead_belowtilde]};
key <AE01> {[1, exclam, U22C1, U22C3, logicalor, union], [exclam, 1]}; # big or, big union
key <AE02> {[2, at], [at, 2]};
key <AE03> {[3, numbersign], [slash, 3]};
key <AE04> {[4, dollar], [semicolon, 4]};
key <AE05> {[5, percent, dead_horn, dead_hook], [colon, 5]};
key <AE06> {[6, asciicircum, dead_circumflex, dead_caron, dead_belowcircumflex], [comma, 6]};
key <AE07> {[7, ampersand, U22C0, U22C2, logicaland, intersection], [period, 7]}; # big and, big intersection
key <AE08> {[8, asterisk, VoidSymbol, VoidSymbol, multiply, U2297], [question, 8]};
key <AE09> {[9, parenleft], [parenleft, 9]};
key <AE10> {[0, parenright, dead_abovering, dead_belowring, emptyset, U2243], [parenright, 0]}; # bar tilde
key <AE11> {[minus, underscore, dead_macron, dead_belowmacron, U2212, U2245]}; # minus, double bar tilde
key <AE12> {[equal, plus, dead_breve, dead_belowbreve, notequal, plusminus]};
key <BKSP> {[BackSpace]};
key <TAB> {[Tab, ISO_Left_Tab]};
key <AD01> {[q, Q, Greek_theta, Greek_THETA, U03D1], [Cyrillic_shorti, Cyrillic_SHORTI]}; # vartheta
key <AD02> {[w, W, a, A, b, B, c, C], [Cyrillic_tse, Cyrillic_TSE]};
key <AD03> {[e, E, U03F5, Greek_epsilon, elementof, notelementof], [Cyrillic_u, Cyrillic_U]}; # epsilon, varepsilon
key <AD04> {[r, R, Greek_rho, VoidSymbol, U03F1], [Cyrillic_ka, Cyrillic_KA]}; # varrho
key <AD05> {[t, T, Greek_tau, VoidSymbol, thorn, THORN], [Cyrillic_ie, Cyrillic_IE]};
key <AD06> {[y, Y, Greek_upsilon, Greek_UPSILON], [Cyrillic_en, Cyrillic_EN]};
key <AD07> {[u, U, Greek_psi, Greek_PSI, udiaeresis, Udiaeresis], [Cyrillic_ghe, Cyrillic_GHE]};
key <AD08> {[i, I, Greek_iota, VoidSymbol, infinity], [Cyrillic_sha, Cyrillic_SHA]};
key <AD09> {[o, O, Greek_omega, Greek_OMEGA, odiaeresis, Odiaeresis, oe, OE], [Cyrillic_shcha, Cyrillic_SHCHA]};
key <AD10> {[p, P, Greek_pi, Greek_PI, U03D6], [Cyrillic_ze, Cyrillic_ZE]}; # varpi
key <AD11> {[bracketleft, braceleft, VoidSymbol, VoidSymbol, leftarrow, U2282], [Cyrillic_ha, Cyrillic_HA]}; # left angle bracket, subset
key <AD12> {[bracketright, braceright, U21A6, VoidSymbol, rightarrow, U2283], [Cyrillic_hardsign, Cyrillic_HARDSIGN]}; # right angle bracket, supset
key <BKSL> {[backslash, bar, VoidSymbol, VoidSymbol, U2016]};
key <CAPS> {[ISO_Next_Group]};
key <AC01> {[a, A, Greek_alpha, VoidSymbol, adiaeresis, Adiaeresis, ae, AE], [Cyrillic_ef, Cyrillic_EF]};
key <AC02> {[s, S, Greek_sigma, Greek_SIGMA, ssharp, U03C2], [Cyrillic_yeru, Cyrillic_YERU]}; # varsigma
key <AC03> {[d, D, Greek_delta, Greek_DELTA, eth, ETH], [Cyrillic_ve, Cyrillic_VE]};
key <AC04> {[f, F, Greek_phi, Greek_PHI, U03D5], [Cyrillic_a, Cyrillic_A]}; # varphi
key <AC05> {[g, G, Greek_gamma, Greek_GAMMA], [Cyrillic_pe, Cyrillic_PE]};
key <AC06> {[h, H, Greek_eta], [Cyrillic_er, Cyrillic_ER]};
key <AC07> {[j, J, Greek_xi, Greek_XI], [Cyrillic_o, Cyrillic_O]};
key <AC08> {[k, K, Greek_kappa], [Cyrillic_el, Cyrillic_EL]};
key <AC09> {[l, L, Greek_lambda, Greek_LAMBDA], [Cyrillic_de, Cyrillic_DE]};
key <AC10> {[semicolon, colon, dead_diaeresis, dead_belowdiaeresis], [Cyrillic_zhe, Cyrillic_ZHE]};
key <AC11> {[apostrophe, quotedbl, dead_acute, dead_doubleacute, U2202, U2207], [Cyrillic_e, Cyrillic_E]};
key <RTRN> {[Return]};
key <LFSH> {[Shift_L]};
key <AB01> {[z, Z, Greek_zeta], [Cyrillic_ya, Cyrillic_YA]};
key <AB02> {[x, X, Greek_chi], [Cyrillic_che, Cyrillic_CHE]};
key <AB03> {[c, C, dead_cedilla], [Cyrillic_es, Cyrillic_ES]};
key <AB04> {[v, V, dead_ogonek], [Cyrillic_em, Cyrillic_EM]};
key <AB05> {[b, B, Greek_beta], [Cyrillic_i, Cyrillic_I]};
key <AB06> {[n, N, Greek_nu], [Cyrillic_te, Cyrillic_TE]};
key <AB07> {[m, M, Greek_mu], [Cyrillic_softsign, Cyrillic_SOFTSIGN]};
key <AB08> {[comma, less, dead_belowcomma, dead_abovecomma, lessthanequal, U27E8], [Cyrillic_be, Cyrillic_BE]};
key <AB09> {[period, greater, dead_belowdot, dead_abovedot, greaterthanequal, U27E9], [Cyrillic_yu, Cyrillic_YU]};
key <AB10> {[slash, question, dead_stroke, dead_invertedbreve, dead_abovereversedcomma, periodcentered], [Cyrillic_io, Cyrillic_IO]};
key <RTSH> {[Shift_R]};
key <LCTL> {[Control_L]};
key <LWIN> {[Super_L]};
key <LALT> {[Alt_L]};
key <SPCE> {[space]};
key <RALT> {[Alt_R]};
key <RWIN> {[Super_R]};
key <MENU> {[Menu]};
key <RCTL> {[Control_R]};
key <UP> {[Up]};
key <LEFT> {[Left]};
key <DOWN> {[Down]};
key <RGHT> {[Right]};
key <NMLK> {[Num_Lock]};
key <KPDV> {[KP_Divide]};
key <KPMU> {[KP_Multiply]};
key <KPSU> {[KP_Subtract]};
key <KP7> {[Delete]};
key <KP8> {[End]};
key <KP9> {[Next]};
key <KPAD> {[KP_Add]};
key <KP4> {[KP_4]};
key <KP5> {[KP_5]};
key <KP6> {[KP_6]};
key <KP1> {[KP_1]};
key <KP2> {[KP_2]};
key <KP3> {[KP_3]};
key <KPEN> {[KP_Enter]};
key <KP0> {[KP_0]};
key <KPDL> {[KP_Delete]};
modifier_map Shift { Shift_L, Shift_R };
modifier_map Lock { ISO_Next_Group };
modifier_map Control { Control_L };
modifier_map Mod1 { Alt_L };
modifier_map Mod2 { Num_Lock };
modifier_map Mod3 { Alt_R };
modifier_map Mod4 { Super_L, Super_R };
modifier_map Mod5 { Control_R };
};
};
The intention is to have two layouts that are switched using Caps Lack; for each layout there are 3 modifier keys: Shift, right Alt, and right Control.
Thus each key is supposed to generate up to 8 different letters in each layout.
For example, the following line
key <AD02> {[w, W, a, A, b, B, c, C], [Cyrillic_tse, Cyrillic_TSE]};
aims to make the following assignments in the first layout:
w → w
Shift+w → W
Alt_R+w → a
Alt_R+Shift+w → A
Control_R+w → b
Control_R+Shift+w → B
Control_R+Alt_R+w → c
Control_R+Alt_R+Shift+w → C
When I load this layout using xkbcomp – :0,
only 4 out of 8 combinations work as expected,
as follows:
w → w
Shift+w → W
Alt_R+w → a
Alt_R+Shift+w → a
Control_R+w → b
Control_R+Shift+w → b
Control_R+Alt_R+w → b
Control_R+Alt_R+Shift+w → b
In other words, combinations of two or three modifier keys don't work.
What should be changed in order to obtain the desired behavior?
Best Answer
Let's try simplifying this a little.
I'm not aware of any symbols command
keys.type=MULTI, so I removed that line first.I saved your file as
keys(minus that line) and ranxkbcomp -w 10 keys. It reports:(and a lot more errors after that)
So, let's add a definition
MULTI3that mimicsMULTIbut with 3 (6) levels:… and then assign it to
TLDE:OK, re-running
xkbcomp -w 10 keysconfirms that this eliminates that error.The same type of error affects 27 other keys … so, annotating them with the desired type, and/or creating new types to handle them, should eliminate those errors.
The case of having two groups defined (which, by the way, will interact in very unpleasant ways with most tools for picking a keyboard layout, eg in Gnome) in the same file, you will have to specify the symbols and types for each group. I've never tried this myself, but eg:
Once the file can be compiled, you should have better success.