Why don't shortcut keys change when keyboard layout changes?

Question

When adding several keyboard layouts to ubuntu (lucid), I experienced that any control key combination refers to the "default" keyboard layout.

Specifically, on a machine I have to prepare for others, I would like to set a default keyboard to a common layout. Me myself, I like to type in dvorak, and therefore set this as a secondary layout (in the System/Preferences/Keyboard/Layouts menu) so that I can switch to it when i am using the setup.

Throughout the system, the control key combinations refer to the default layout. I.e. to type ctrl-r for a reverse search in a terminal, I'll have to hit the 'r' key on the common layout.

Any ideas how to fix this?

Answer 1

This is a known bug in GTK: https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=162726 -- although it is resolved as "fixed" based on the comments it seems the problem still exists :-/

The problem with this situation is that it is unclear whether it's a bug or a feature: In some (say, for example, Arabic) countries it is rather common to switch between two keyboard layouts during work (say, for programming vs. writing emails in your language). For these users it is more convenient having application shortcuts (like Ctrl+C for copy) always mapped to the same "physical" key, regardless of its meaning in the current keyboard layout -- most users have for example the copy&paste combination Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V deeply engraved in their "muscle memory". So, there does not seem to be a simple solution or fix that makes everyone happy...