Alt Codes Like Windows

[jage]

I know, I know, but one of the big reasons I haven't been able to *nix in the past has been the unsupported alt codes.

Yes, I can learn a whole new system. Yes I could memorize anew all the alt-codes I know that I use regularly in Unicode, and play break a finger trying to type them in. I can program them all into a 4th keyboard layer and learn that all over again. I use them a lot compared to most people, but not enough to make either of those worthwhile solutions.

Alt codes in windows are so EASY. Alt+num pad. Bam, done. Also I've got something like 22 years of using the Windows alt method. Several of the other show stoppers for migrating away from the monster have been fixed since I last tried to abandon windows, so I'm hoping that this has as well, somewhere by somebody. On top of that I have to use Windows for work so learning a whole new system would be counter productive.

[odo5435]

I take it Applications > Accessories > Character Map doesn't work for you. If you regularly use different languages I believe it is fairly simple to switch your keyboard layout between languages using System > Preferences > Keyboard and then clicking on the 'Add' button in the 'Keyboard Layouts' tab. I haven't used it myself so I can't describe the procedure but I know a little Googling will quickly get you going.

[Avenant]

I see this has been raised in Nov 2011 already. And it is still a no-go on this issue.

This has kept me away from Linux in the past, and I was hoping that by now it would have been changed, In my native language - Afrikaans - there is hardly a sentence where I don't use the ë é ê ï ô ö û characters (these are the most often used) and using the character map, is just not viable. It would be a sad story if I have to switch back to Windows just for that, but to me it is essential. Couldn't somebody please come up with some combination keystrokes, please.

[Harcherhillier]

I see this has been raised in Nov 2011 already. And it is still a no-go on this issue.

This has kept me away from Linux in the past, and I was hoping that by now it would have been changed, In my native language - Afrikaans - there is hardly a sentence where I don't use the ë é ê ï ô ö û characters (these are the most often used) and using the character map, is just not viable. It would be a sad story if I have to switch back to Windows just for that, but to me it is essential. Couldn't somebody please come up with some combination keystrokes, please.

I have to agree. this will make our lives easier.

[eanfrid]

Use Ctrl+Shift+u and enter the unicode number. "ɸ" is Ctrl-Shift+u0278 for instance.

[MtnDewManiac]

Use Ctrl+Shift+u and enter the unicode number. "ɸ" is Ctrl-Shift+u0278 for instance.

That is a nice tip, thank you. I do not use those alt-key codes as much as those of you whose language makes regular use of some of those characters in your words, but I do use characters such as ¼, ½, ¾, °, and the ™ symbol (one of my friends has that at the end of his user name, lol) regularly. And, since my laptop doesn't have a numeric keypad, I have had to deal with this issue longer than I have been using linux.

For me, someone who uses them regularly but not in almost every sentence, simply having the address of a webpage bookmarked that I can refer to is a big help. I have this one bookmarked:

Code: Select all

http://symbolcodes.tlt.psu.edu/accents/codealt.html

It is nice because with Firefox I can just hit CTRL-t to open a new tab and place my cursor in the address box, and then type "alt" (without the quotes) and it will auto-complete the web address since it is the only page I have bookmarked that has alt in it.

Although this would be unwieldy for those of you that use some of the characters all the time because your language uses them in regular words, I hope that it might be helpful for those who use them regularly but not all the time.

Speaking of characters that are not on their own key, another one that I use from time to time is the backwards capital r. I only use that one once in a while, so I just do a gooogle search for "backwards r" (again, without the quotes) and the very first search result is always a Yahoo page where someone asks how to type it - and the solution is in the summary on the Google search results list, lol, which is "copy and paste this: Я." So if you ever find yourself needing to type Linux-Я-Us in a hurry, you can find it here without having to go begging to either Google or Yahoo.

Hope this helps someone, some time,
MDM