https://github.com/michmech/mx
One keyboard layout for Irish, Czech, German, English and coding
https://github.com/michmech/mx
Last synced: 3 months ago
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One keyboard layout for Irish, Czech, German, English and coding
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/michmech/mx
- Owner: michmech
- License: unlicense
- Created: 2021-04-06T17:38:28.000Z (about 4 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2023-10-27T14:53:16.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2023-10-27T15:43:25.591Z (over 1 year ago)
- Size: 220 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
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Metadata Files:
- Readme: readme.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# The ‘Multilingual (Měchura)’ keyboard layout
This is the one and only keyboard layout I use *both* for coding *and* for typing text in the four languages I usually type text in (English, Irish, Czech, German), all without having to switch keyboard layouts. Switching keyboard layouts drives me mad! I don't want to be mad, so I made myself this.
The layout is as close as possible to the **English (US)** layout, which is exactly what I need for writing computer code, and of course for typing English. Then:
- **Key 1** acts as a dead key. When pressed on its own it gives me the *combining acute accent* for typing `áéí` and so on in Irish and Czech. When pressed with Shift it gives a *combining caron* for typing `řšň` and so on in Czech.
- **Key 2** when pressed with **AltGr** gives me `ů` (= `u` with ring above) for Czech. And when I add Shift it gives me the capitalized version of that, `Ů`.
With those two keys we have Irish and Czech covered. Let's see about German now.
- **Key 3** when pressed with AltGr acts as a dead key and gives me the *combining diaeresis* (aka *Umlaut*) for typing `äöü` in German.
- **Key 4**, the S key, when pressed with AltGr, gives me the lower-case German *Eszett* `ß`.
With that we have German covered. Let's see what else there is.
- **Key 5** (the E key) when pressed with AltGr gives me the Euro sign `€`.
- **Key 6** (the 6 key) when pressed with AltGr acts as a dead key and gives me the *combining circumflex*. I need it occasionally for typing fancy Frenchie words like *Côtes du Rhône*. Yes, wine names mostly.
- **Key 7** is our last key and another Frenchie enabler. When pressed with AltGr it acts as a dead key and gives me the *combining grave accent*. Great for saying that something is *à la* something else, and also for the occasional excursion into Scottish Gaelic (*tha mi sgìth*).
Finally, I've added a few features to this keyboard layout to satisfy my very fine tastes in typography (**Achtung:** these only work in the Linux version, not in the Windows version):
- AltGr + A gives `“` (a 66-shaped opening double quote).
- AltGr + D gives `”` (a 99-shaped closing double quote).
- AltGr + Z gives `‘` (a 6-shaped opening single quote).
- AltGr + X gives `’` (a 9-shaped closing single quote).
- AltGr + - gives `–` (en-dash).
- AltGr + + gives `×` (multiplication).
- AltGr + > gives `→` (rightwards arrow).
## Installing it
There is a version for Linux and a version for Windows here.
The Linux version is in the `Linux` directory (I bet you didn't expect that). To install it, you basically need to copy and edit a few files and then restart. You'll find some rudimentary instructions in `readme.txt` there. It works for me on my installation of Ubuntu but that's all I know. I learned how to do it from [here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/482678/how-to-add-a-new-keyboard-layout-custom-keyboard-layout-definition).
The Windows version (which is in the `Windows` directory, shocking!) was made with [Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=102134). If you want you can install Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator and open the file `mx.klc` to edit the layout. If you just want to install it, go to the `Built` directory there and run `setup.exe`.
On both Linux and Windows, the layout will appear in your list of available keyboard layouts as **Multilingual (Měchura)**. On Linux it is connected to all the four languages, so when you go in to add a keyboard layout, you should pick either English or Irish or Czech or German and the layout should be offered to to you. On Windows, Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator doesn't allow a keyboard layout to be connected to more than one language, so I have connected it to Irish.
That is all. Enjoy.