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When I am typing I want to be able to use the compose key to get at "dead" characters, if I press the compose key simultaneously with the key I want I can toggle dead mode, for the next key I press.

however, if I press the compose key alone, all subsequent keypresses give me their level 2 symbols. I don't know how to go back to normal key symbols... this compose mode seems to be locked on forever.

As an example in below, the first line is typed "123..." then I press alt-gr by itself... then I type "123..." again but now I get all the compose versions and not the normal numbers. (this is a French keyboard in this example)

example...

normal typing 1234567890 gives me 1234567890

I press alt-gr once then 1234567890... gives me &é"'(-è_çà

now the only way to go back to 1,2,3,4,5 etc is to press shift+1 etc

The keyboard is locked into the compose mode and I need to restart to get it out of this mode, (or change it to a different language).

to be clear, it seems that on my keyboard entering this "compose mode" is a permanent effect, and lasts for longer than just the subsequent keypresses, I want it to turn off after the next keypress.

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  • if your familiar with the concept of compose keys, imagine a mode where all key presses register as there compose variations, with no access to the non-compose versions
    – joe Lovick
    Mar 18, 2018 at 22:19
  • Your question and comments confuse me. Can you please edit your question and let us know exactly which keyboard layout you are using and provide a few specific characters which you can't type successfully as expected. I think it would be easier to guide you with that information.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Mar 19, 2018 at 14:55
  • I appreciate your help, i tried to rewrite the question to better explain
    – joe Lovick
    Mar 19, 2018 at 15:05
  • From your latest description, it appears to me as if it switches to some other keyboard layout. Have you possibly defined <AltGr> as a shortcut for switching layouts?
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Mar 19, 2018 at 15:30
  • not knowingly, how would i establish this?
    – joe Lovick
    Mar 19, 2018 at 15:31

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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If you have defined AltGr as a compose key, its original behavior is overridden.

To disable the compose key, and with that retain the original behavior of AltGr, you can use Tweaks (gnome-tweak-tool) or run this terminal command:

gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
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  • 1
    so I have reset all bindings, and it doesn't help, it appears this is a feature by design, see pomsky's answer, I just need the Alt-GR to only impact the next character, not all subsequent characters.
    – joe Lovick
    Mar 19, 2018 at 14:29
2

This seems to be the default behaviour of the French keyboard.

enter image description here

As per the keyboard layout above, if you press 12...90, you're supposed to get

&é"'(-è_çà

If you press Shift+12...90 instead, you should get

1234567890

So "pressing Shift+Alt-Gr" part seems to be a red herring.

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3
  • OK, i can buy that... it behaves as you describe.. how do i turn it off when it is on so that i can go back to getting 1 to be 1... ideally pressing the Alt-Gr would only work on the next keypress, like it does on the mac
    – joe Lovick
    Mar 19, 2018 at 14:24
  • See Gunnar's answer.
    – pomsky
    Mar 19, 2018 at 14:28
  • unfortunatly that doesnt solve the problem. i do need to get at compose characters, i just need to be switch back to normal characters after i have typed one.
    – joe Lovick
    Mar 19, 2018 at 14:36
1

The problem was caused by a custom keyboard layout that had an issue, disabling this keyboard layout and restarting my machine, stopped the problem on other keyboard layouts.

I now need to find the problem with this keyboard layout, but that as they say is a different problem.

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