Comments on: Correcting a long-running error http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/ K.Mandla's blog of Linux experiences Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:19:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: johnraff http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38382 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:04:03 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38382 The Intrepid laptop was indeed a basic CLI install with X added after. (very low-spec machine: 260MHz, 192MB)
It failed to pick the right screen resolution, but keyboard setup went OK.

Still, X’s new habit of doing everything behind closed doors is annoying.

]]> By: K.Mandla http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38371 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:13:57 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38371 I think the last time I used full-blown Ubuntu everything was set up correctly. My problems arrive when I install a command-line system, add X on top of that, and then find that it doesn’t know my keyboard from any other, or it sets the display options to something impossible for the hardware.

To be honest, I had enough trouble with X since 7.4 came out that I’m just in the habit of hotwiring it without checking to see if it can do its job correctly. It’s possible that it can set up a keyboard without my prodding, and I just haven’t given it the chance. :|

]]> By: johnraff http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38365 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:30:30 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38365 Actually there is man xorg.conf !
I’ve just found this and it says, along with many, many other things, the Section “Keyboard” is now obsolete…
No concrete advice about Japanese keyboards though so we’re still stuck with voodoo.

My Intrepid laptop’s xorg.conf hasn’t got anything about the (also Japanese) keyboard at all, but the latest version of X seems to have set it up OK all by itself during the install process. (It needed help with the display though.)

]]> By: K.Mandla http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38359 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:32:18 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38359 No, no secret source to reveal. I pieced that together from several forum posts, blog posts and an offhand instruction page or two. I used to set XkbVariant as jp106, and it might be that it’s a working option. I’ve also seen the layout as “jp,jp”. Who knows? Maybe somewhere on the Intarnets there’s a manual I should be RTFMing. :mrgreen:

]]> By: johnraff http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38357 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:12:08 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/correcting-a-long-running-error/#comment-38357 Might seem boring, but an uncooperative keyboard can be infuriating. >_<
Glad you got it fixed. Did you find some wonderful source of advice on Japanese keyboard-tweaking?

I’m on Gutsy, so things might be different for you, but on my xorg.conf there’s no Section “Keyboard”, like so:
—–(from my xorg.conf)—–
Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Generic Keyboard”
Driver “kbd”
Option “CoreKeyboard”
Option “XkbRules” “xorg”
Option “XkbModel” “jp106″
Option “XkbLayout” “jp”
Option “XkbVariant” “jp106″
Option “XkbOptions” “grp:caps_toggle,lv3:ralt_switch,grp_led:scroll”
EndSection
——————————
Apart from the Section name, differences from your version are that I’ve got “jp106″ for “XkbVariant”, and that list of “XkbOptions”. To be honest I can’t remember how I got here, but it seems to be working OK, except that occasionally I hit the wrong key combination, get switched to kana input, “Caps Lock” and “Scroll Lock” lights come on, and I have to stop X to get back to normal.

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