Entering 's gives ś and 'm gives ḿ a.s.o.

[mintmikey]

I wanted to start this topic by typing: I'm not sure if this us Dutch specific....
Then I realized that it is not because typing I'm gave me Iḿ.
You need to type I + ' + space + m.
The same goes for 's.
If you want to type Sam's house, you actually need to type Sam' + space + s house.
In Windows and even on my Android phone this works as expected (No space needed).
Actually I never used a Linux distro that had this issue.
This is more annoying than a it is really a bug but annoying nevertheless.
Can this be changed easily?
And do I need to raise a bug for that?

[Dan-cer]

What operating system do you have?

Regardless of the system, you probably have the wrong keyboard layout. If it was correct before, you should research what change caused this. Since when is the error there? For emergency timeshift restore.

You can also enter "Keyboard" and in the 3rd tab "Keyboard layouts" (see screenshot) add the correct language and remove the wrong one if necessary. You can probably see the wrong one immediately. If not, the error lies somewhere else.

[mintmikey]

Yes, that is clumsy of me, not mentioning the version of Linux Mint I'm running.
Running Linux Mint for years now and just upgraded to 21.
I have always have had that problem with Linux Mint but I never was that active on any forums but now decided that it was time to post a question about it.
I live in the Netherlands but like most Dutch people I just have a US QWERTY keyboard and some, like me, with a € sign on the 5 button (chosen with Alt-Gr).
Keyboards with a Dutch layout are almost never used anymore.
I'm not even sure why they still exist.
Anyway, so I guess it is a US International keyboard.
My keyboard setting in Linux Mint 21 is: VS, International, with dead keys.
I'm open to suggestions but the answer it is not that simple.

[cfb]

If I understand you correctly, what you are seeing is a "dead key" doing exactly what it is supposed to do.
You may want to read about "Dead key" in Wikipedia.

You could try selecting a keybord layout without "dead keys". It may work the way you want.
I live in Denmark and here it is common to have "dead keys" in both Windows and Linux.

[Pjotr]

You have the right keyboard layout for Dutch. This is how to deal with it correctly (how-to in Dutch):
https://makkelijkelinuxtips.blogspot.co ... nbord.html

[mintmikey]

Hey, thanks guys.
These where the hints I needed.
You both where right.
I never paid any attention to the dead keys or what those actually are.
The Dutch howto actually was right but he missed the point completely.
With a VS International keyboard with dead keys you have the issue I described and he described in point 6.
Turned out I indeed needed to loose the dead keys and so the default keyboard layout for the Netherlands in Linux Mint is not the right option.
I now chose "VS, euro sign on 5".
That should be the default for the Netherlands for Linux Mint from now on.
Now it works the same as in Android and Windows.
Problem solved.
Now, who should I talk to to get the default keyboard layout changed for the Netherlands for Linux Mint?

[Pjotr]

Hey, thanks guys.
These where the hints I needed.
You both where right.
I never paid any attention to the dead keys or what those actually are.
The Dutch howto actually was right but he missed the point completely.
With a VS International keyboard with dead keys you have the issue I described and he described in point 6.
Turned out I indeed needed to loose the dead keys and so the default keyboard layout for the Netherlands in Linux Mint is not the right option.
I now chose "VS, euro sign on 5".
That should be the default for the Netherlands for Linux Mint from now on.
Now it works the same as in Android and Windows.
Problem solved.
Now, who should I talk to to get the default keyboard layout changed for the Netherlands for Linux Mint?

I do not agree with you. The current default, US International with dead keys, is exactly the right keyboard layout for The Netherlands, when your system is Dutch localized.

As you can see in my profile, I am Dutch also. Every Dutch Mint user that I know, and there are many, agrees with me that the current default keyboard layout is the best for Dutch users. Mint is definitely not alone in this; most (if not all) other Linux distros that I know, use that same default layout for Dutch.

Furthermore, something like ś is a valid letter in some languages (Polish, for example). So it's not a bug; it's in fact handy when you type a name containing such letters. Simply get used to typing a space after the ' if you want 's instead. How hard can it be?

Select what you like for yourself, but don't attempt to break long-standing usage expectations for other Dutch Mint users....

[mintmikey]

Ok, espacially because you are Dutch, i'm quite surprised you do not agree but that is your prerogative of cause.
I especially do not want to impose my solution if other people do not agree with it.
And I certainly are not saying that if it is different from Windows than it most be wrong.
But I am pretty sure that when I take a secretary's Windows laptop and give her a Linux Mint 21 laptop with the default VS International keyboard with dead key's, that she would prefer the VS, euro sign on 5 keyboard setting.
Can you explain why you do not agree because the ' + whatever is something you use pretty much apposed to character like ś or ḿ you almost never see in the Dutch language?
I'm actually quite curious what your answer to that is...

[Pjotr]

I am pretty sure that when I take a secretary's Windows laptop and give her a Linux Mint 21 laptop with the default VS International keyboard with dead key's, that she would prefer the VS, euro sign on 5 keyboard setting.
Can you explain why you do not agree because the ' + whatever is something you use pretty much apposed to character like ś or ḿ you almost never see in the Dutch language?
I'm actually quite curious what your answer to that is...

With VS, euro sign on 5, I find it harder to type "trema's en accenten". With VS, International, with dead keys, thât's vëry éàsy.

Dead keys are a means to make typing "trema's en accenten" easy as pie, on a US keyboard that has no feature for that. As you know, in Dutch we need to type "trema's en accenten" rather often.

[mintmikey]

Ok, that's clear.
I stand corrected.

I think I am thinking too much about the difference between Windows and Linux Mint and here is why.
If you work with Windows at work and with Linux Mint at home, and if you don't think too much when typing, it is really annoying when you always type these things wrong because of the difference between both OS's.
I'm sure you are right but when mixing Windows and Mint all the time, I still have to say VS, euro sign on 5 works best for me.
The only time I need to type trema's en accenten is when I'm using LibreOffice Writer and it has the special signs option like Word has.
And in my experience I use 's much more than all of the other characters like thât vëry éàsy together.
But I understand the Linux way of a more international keyboard than in Windows....

[Moem]

It's a good thing that you still have the option to choose a keyboard layout withour dead keys!
I like dead keys; my partner does not. We both get what we each prefer to use. Options are good to have.