Something similar to WinCompose?

3 years ago by LucidBoi to c/linux

Hi all,

I've switched to Linux only recently, and am very sad that I had to abandon WinCompose. For those who don't know, it is a taskbar application which allows you to toggle "compose-mode" with your R-Alt key and then combine multiple keystrokes to create special characters in an intuitive way. For example, Alt -> U -> "-" becomes Ū. Is there an alternative to this for Linux? I'm on Zorin OS 17.1 Core, specifically. To clarify, I'm not looking for a symbol table add-on. I'm looking for something that I can utilise with only my keyboard.

Thanks in advance!

SpicySquid 28 points 3 years ago

You're in luck. As far as i recall wincompose is inspired by Xorg's Compose feature (https://github.com/...). Depending on your installation you can toggle it via some settings, or by running: setxkbmap -option compose:ralt

I always find the book useful for this stuff: https://wiki.archlinux.org/...

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palordrolap 14 points 3 years ago

Technically, it's inherited from older, non-x86 systems that had a dedicated 'Compose' key on the keyboard. Here's a picture of a Sun Microsystems UK-layout keyboard; take a look at the bottom right of the main section: Link to a wiki hosting the image

(These keyboards also had the Sun (looks like a diamond) key well before Microsoft decided they'd like a Windows key on every keyboard. But then lots of other non-Microsoft computers did that. Apples, Commodores, etc.)

Note that the tiny circle on the key is a light which comes on when the key is engaged and goes off when the composition is complete. The Caps-, Num- and Scroll Lock keys also have built-in lights. For that reason, some people will use Scroll Lock on PC keyboards, especially if the Compose-emulation is able to toggle the Scroll Lock light in the same way.

(Even though I used similar keyboards many, many years ago, I'm not actually sure if the key has the light in it or whether the light is under the key and the circle is merely a window, but that's not really important right now.)

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LucidBoi 2 points 3 years ago

I have thoroughly enjoyed this lore drop.

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SpicySquid 1 point 3 years ago

Oh I didn't know that yet! Amazing stuff.

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billgamesh 1 point 3 years ago

The sun unix keyboard also swaps ctrl and caps lock

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LucidBoi 4 points 3 years ago

Thank you so much for the answer and the link to "The Book"! The Linux world is so amazing and I'm happy to learn more.

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lemmyvore 15 points 3 years ago

Yes this exists on Linux too, it's called the compose key. It's usually not assigned by default, look in the keyboard settings. I use the Pause key for it.

It works a bit different from WinCompose, you press the key you assigned then two other keys that you want to combine. So instead of using RAlt with the keys you'd press Pause and then each key, one at a time. So Pause then U then " and you'd get Ü.

I'm not sure if the combinations are identical but it would make sense if they were.

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LucidBoi 3 points 3 years ago

That's cool. So, this Compose key isn't a thing on Windows? Thank you for the answer.

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Hawke 5 points 3 years ago

There’s a lot of options for which key to use for compose. And you can set right-alt to be that key very easily.

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makingStuffForFun 4 points 3 years ago

Indeed. I use right alt for mine.

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beeng 5 points 3 years ago

PS when you see things prefixed with "win" it usually means its the windows counterpart to an already existing Linux tool ^^

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toothbrush 5 points 3 years ago

yeah, the compose key is already standard, just rebind a key to the compose key and it should work.

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LucidBoi 5 points 3 years ago

Thank you! I didn't know such a key existed.

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Trent 3 points 3 years ago

Check your keyboard settings, should be something in there for enable/define compose key.

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LucidBoi 2 points 3 years ago

I definitely will. Thanks!

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owatnext -2 points 3 years ago

Check your keyboard layout. Perhaps add whatever language keyboard you are looking to use the characters from? In my case, I couldn't find a Welsh keyboard but the UK English keyboard has keystrokes for characters like ŵ. That could potentially be an option.

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bionicjoey -2 points 3 years ago

On KDE I found a keyboard called something like "US English international with AltGr deadkeys" which does what you describe

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lemmyvore 8 points 3 years ago

Dead keys are another method of doing diacritics but what OP is describing is the compose key, which is independent of layout and can do more symbols not just diacritics.

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bionicjoey -1 points 3 years ago

I'm unfamiliar with the difference in nomenclature, but the UX OP is describing is pretty much the same as what I've used. Eg. R-Alt + " + i = ï

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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