Using Alt Codes in Skype?

Question

In Skype 4.2.0.11 I can't seem to enter Alt Codes with my setup Compose Key that I enabled under Keyboard Layout, my Compose Key is setup to use Left Win key, but when I try to use it in Skype to type accented characters such as áéíóú I can't do it because Skype is ignoring the key input and instead typing regular characters.

For every other application I can enter Alt Codes with the Compose Key as normal with no problems such as Text Editors and Web Browsers. All except Skype which ignores it completely, so the question is... How can I force Skype to recognise Alt Codes entered with the Compose Key? Is there a GTK keyboard modifier script I can put into my .bashrc file so it captures the Compose Key input for Skype?

When I don't have the Compose Key for Left Win turned on and just have the default Ctrl + <Alt> keys for inputting Alt codes it works fine in Skype, but I find it a bit impractical and tedious to type them the long way by knowing their Unicode HEX Codes when I could just easily type them quicker with the Compose Key.

Using Ubuntu Raring 13.04 ~

Answer 1

I'm having a similar problem in Skype 4.2.0.11 on Ubuntu Precise 12.04 LTS. Accented characters can't be composed using the compose key (nothing happens) but other characters in the same chart, like æ <compose> a e and ß <compose> s s, do work.

Typing accented characters in other ways works in Skype for me so I have to enable a way to do that. One way is to switch keyboard layout to some other layout which has these characters.

Since I have the American keyboard layout, my best option is to switch to an "American international" keyboard layout. Those layouts have accented characters on the third level, accessible by holding <right alt> (also known as Alt Gr) and type "a" for á, <Alt Gr> + e for é, <Alt Gr> + i for í and so on.

Open the Keyboard Layout settings, click the plus button to add a layout, filter the list to find a suitable candidate and choose it, click the button resembling a keyboard to see where the characters are. Repeat until you find a layout which is good enough.

The third level characters are not sufficient for me, so my choice was "international AltGr with dead keys" so I can type <Alt Gr> + ` a for à and <Alt Gr> + 6 o for ô (<Shift> + 6 is ^.)

If you don't want to make a permanent switch, you kan add a secondary layout and enabling a key to switch layout. Choosing a key "when pressed" will save you the trouble of having to toggle back to your regular layout.

To do this, go to the Keyboard Layout settings and enable a key to switch layout (when pressed.) You can optionally set your third level chooser (Alt Gr) on the same button, if your secondary layout of choice has all it's dead keys on the third level.