Hi Ray, Thanks for your reply. I tried out some of your advive but it doesn't solve it. The problem is not with the X server because Compose works in non-KDE3 applications like xterm or GTK applications like gvim. It fails only with KDE3 applications like konsole or kate. The problem lies with how KDE3 applications handle signals. As I wrote in my previous e-mail, if I `ssh localhost` and then start a new konsole (as if I was logging in remotely), then Compose works in that new konsole. This is a workaround for now, but I would like to understand what the difference is between a KDE3 app started directly and started after `ssh localhost`. It might have something to do with DCOP. What does DCOP do? If somebody with KDE3 development experience could please give me advice, it would be appreciated. Thanks, Gianluca On Tue, 10 Jul 2018, Ray Vine wrote:

This might be an option for you - it works for me in KDE3, but I don't use SuSE, so let's hope it will work on your build.

Assuming you're using a US keyboard layout, set this up in Control Center:

Layout: English (US) Keyboard model: Generic 101-key PC Layout variant: alt-intl

and you should see: Command: setxkbmap -model pc101 -layout us -variant alt-intl

Then, for example, where AC11 is the apostrophe/doublequote key:

é [e acute] is AC11 then e É [E acute] is AC11 then shift+e ü [u umlaut] is shift+AC11 then u Ü [U umlaut] is shift+AC11 then shift+u

The dead keys are shown in the /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/us file [from the xkeyboard-config package on my system]:

    key <AC11> { [dead_acute, dead_diaeresis, apostrophe,        quotedbl ] };

and the order is  key    shift+key    AltGr+key    AltGr+shift+key

Personally, I wouldn't like this and would rather have the dead keys on the AltGr key, leaving the AC11 key for it's usual function - apostrophe/doublequote. In which case, edit /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/us in the 'xkb_symbols "alt-intl"' section:

    key <AC11> { [ apostrophe,        quotedbl,   dead_acute, dead_diaeresis ] };

and then: é [e acute] is AltGr+AC11 then e É [E acute] is AltGr+AC11 then shift+e ü [u umlaut] is AltGr+shift+AC11 then u Ü [U umlaut] is AltGr+shift+AC11 then shift+u

You'll probably have to restart X for the changes to take affect.

Another option you might prefer .. There's another section - xkb_symbols "intl" - in the 'us' symbols file with a greater range of key mappings like:

    key <AD06> { [       y,          Y,    udiaeresis,       Udiaeresis ] };

where 'u umlaut' is just AltGr+y

Of course, you could set up your own key mappings, perhaps using the Win and/or menu keys:     key <LWIN>     key <RWIN>     key <MENU> on a 104/105 key keyboard.

Otherwise, is this thread any help? https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/468504-xkb-symbols-ignored-12-1-a

      ----- Reply to message ----- Subject: Re: [opensuse-kde3] Missing writing accents Date: 9 July 2018 at 21:33:14 From: Gianluca Interlandi <gianluca@u.washington.edu> To: David C. Rankin <drankinatty@suddenlinkmail.com> If anyone has any advice how to troubleshoot this, it would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Gianluca

 

 

----------------------------------------------------- Gianluca Interlandi, PhD gianluca@u.washington.edu +1 (206) 685 4435 http://artemide.bioeng.washington.edu/ Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, Seattle WA U.S.A. -----------------------------------------------------