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I'm using Ubuntu with MATE desktop. I usually write in English, but sometimes I want to enter some text in Polish, or other languages that use variations on the standard Roman alphabet. I already know how to switch keyboard layouts, so I'm not asking about that - I simply can't figure out how to actually enter the special characters like ą, ć, or ę. (I didn't type those just now, I had to copy and paste.)

This is something that should be simple, and I did manage it on other Linux setups, so what the hell am I doing wrong?

EDIT

I can see this chart, which tells me that (for example) I can use the a key to make ą appear - which is pretty self-evident, and it still doesn't tell me how to make it appear.

enter image description here

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  • I already know how to select the proper keyboard layout, I just can't do anything useful with it. Once I select the Polish keyboard, what's the key combination to make those special characters appear?
    – Mike Baranczak
    Jan 2, 2017 at 18:12
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    OK, I figured it out. Holding down the ALT key was the first thing I tried, since that's how it usually works on other systems, and that didn't work. The problem was, I was using the left ALT key. I assumed that both ALT keys are equivalent, so I never bothered to try the right one, but that's what I was supposed to do.
    – Mike Baranczak
    Jan 2, 2017 at 18:33

3 Answers 3

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Step 1: Install Language Support

Go to System Settings...> Language Support > Install Languages and install Polish (or any other language).

Step 2: Install Keyboard Layout

Go to System Settings... > Keyboard > Text Entry (at the very bottom left) > The + sign at the bottom left and add the keyboard layout of your choice.

Step 3: Find the keyboard layout chart

In Unity, this can be accessed by clicking on the tiny keyboard indicator icon at the top right part of the desktop panel. It looks like En for English. Clicking on it gives you a drop down menu, where you will see keyboard layout chart

The Polish keyboard layout you have has the following chart:

enter image description here

Step 4: Understand the keyboard layout chart

Each key in the keyboard has four letters written in the following four positions:

2 4

1 3

These are called four “levels” of the key. Level 1 is accessed without modifiers, level 2 is accessed with Shift, level 3 with AltGr (which is called “third level chooser” in the X lingo), and level 4 with Shift+AltGr.

The AltGr is the Alt on the right side of the keyboard.

Source: http://marcinwolinski.pl/keyboard/rational_keyboard.pdf

and: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AltGr_key

Hope this helps

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  • I have added the initial steps of installing languages and keyboard layout for future users, who may not have completed these steps.
    – user68186
    Jan 2, 2017 at 19:14
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You could also choose a keyboard layout (text-entry) with so called dead-keys, for example: English (US, international with dead-keys). In that case you have certain keys that need you to type an extra space before they show. Those can be used to create those special characters. The most used is the quote (also the one next to the [1] key) For example:

[`] + [e] becomes: è

['] + [e] becomes: é

["] + [e] becomes: ë

Also,

[right alt] + [<] becomes: ç

[right alt] + [shift] + [<] becomes: Ç

Most of the time I find this easier than remembering the codes or using the on screen character map. The only down side is you need to type an extra space if you want a quote or other dead-key.

Good luck!

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Start onboard and try

setxkbmap pl

You get those characters with altGr

enter image description here

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