Setting compose key has no effect

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I'm running ubuntu 16.04 LTS, and have used the "Keyboard" application to set my "Compose" key, but every time I do the key retains its old function. I've tried this with "Caps Lock", "Right Ctrl", and "Menu", and have logged out and back in between making the change with no effect.



The change is saved in the "Keyboard" application the next time I log in, and I can also check it in gsettings:



$ /usr/bin/gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
['compose:menu']


I have to specify the path for gsettings because when I don't I get the following message:



$ gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
GLib-GIO-Message: Using the 'memory' GSettings backend. Your settings will not be saved or shared with other applications.
@as


I think this has something to do with the gsettings in my Anaconda installation in light of https://askubuntu.com/a/943739/457920.



The keyboard layout I am using is "English (international AltGr dead keys)", and the "AltGr" key in that layout works fine for me. The "Compose" key still fails to work when I switch to the more basic "English (US)" keyboard layout.



Has anyone else experienced this problem or know of places to look for the source? I've found the question Compose key not working on Ubuntu 16.04, but the behavior there doesn't match my situation (the question poster had "Compose" working in some, but not all, applications, whereas my "Compose" key doesn't work in any application I've tried, mostly Firefox and Terminal).



Edit: One additional point about my setup that may be relevant is that I run both Unity and xmonad as my window managers. xmonad uses the "Super" key for special things, so I suppose there's a possibility that it is messing with the keyboard layout in a conflicting way. The problems I describe with the "Compose" key are present both when using Unity and when using xmonad.



Edit 2: Upon request, I tried setting the "Compose" key in a guest session, and everything worked fine there, so that seems to be a clue.










share|improve this question























  • Can you please enter a guest session, enable a compose key there, and let us know whether it works in the guest session.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 2:56










  • The compose key works when I enable it in a guest session. Presumably that suggests something about where I should be looking to fix the problem for my user account?
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 17:06










  • Sort of. It tells us that the problem lies somewhere in your home directory. ;) It's a subtle issue; this bug report includes some reported workarounds which have solved it for some people.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 18:07










  • I'll look through that bug report to see if anything helps. I'm concerned that the bug report doesn't describe what I'm experiencing, though, since my AltGr dead keys work fine, and my problem with the compose key is not limited to the terminal.
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 19:23














up vote
0
down vote

favorite












I'm running ubuntu 16.04 LTS, and have used the "Keyboard" application to set my "Compose" key, but every time I do the key retains its old function. I've tried this with "Caps Lock", "Right Ctrl", and "Menu", and have logged out and back in between making the change with no effect.



The change is saved in the "Keyboard" application the next time I log in, and I can also check it in gsettings:



$ /usr/bin/gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
['compose:menu']


I have to specify the path for gsettings because when I don't I get the following message:



$ gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
GLib-GIO-Message: Using the 'memory' GSettings backend. Your settings will not be saved or shared with other applications.
@as


I think this has something to do with the gsettings in my Anaconda installation in light of https://askubuntu.com/a/943739/457920.



The keyboard layout I am using is "English (international AltGr dead keys)", and the "AltGr" key in that layout works fine for me. The "Compose" key still fails to work when I switch to the more basic "English (US)" keyboard layout.



Has anyone else experienced this problem or know of places to look for the source? I've found the question Compose key not working on Ubuntu 16.04, but the behavior there doesn't match my situation (the question poster had "Compose" working in some, but not all, applications, whereas my "Compose" key doesn't work in any application I've tried, mostly Firefox and Terminal).



Edit: One additional point about my setup that may be relevant is that I run both Unity and xmonad as my window managers. xmonad uses the "Super" key for special things, so I suppose there's a possibility that it is messing with the keyboard layout in a conflicting way. The problems I describe with the "Compose" key are present both when using Unity and when using xmonad.



Edit 2: Upon request, I tried setting the "Compose" key in a guest session, and everything worked fine there, so that seems to be a clue.










share|improve this question























  • Can you please enter a guest session, enable a compose key there, and let us know whether it works in the guest session.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 2:56










  • The compose key works when I enable it in a guest session. Presumably that suggests something about where I should be looking to fix the problem for my user account?
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 17:06










  • Sort of. It tells us that the problem lies somewhere in your home directory. ;) It's a subtle issue; this bug report includes some reported workarounds which have solved it for some people.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 18:07










  • I'll look through that bug report to see if anything helps. I'm concerned that the bug report doesn't describe what I'm experiencing, though, since my AltGr dead keys work fine, and my problem with the compose key is not limited to the terminal.
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 19:23












up vote
0
down vote

favorite









up vote
0
down vote

favorite











I'm running ubuntu 16.04 LTS, and have used the "Keyboard" application to set my "Compose" key, but every time I do the key retains its old function. I've tried this with "Caps Lock", "Right Ctrl", and "Menu", and have logged out and back in between making the change with no effect.



The change is saved in the "Keyboard" application the next time I log in, and I can also check it in gsettings:



$ /usr/bin/gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
['compose:menu']


I have to specify the path for gsettings because when I don't I get the following message:



$ gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
GLib-GIO-Message: Using the 'memory' GSettings backend. Your settings will not be saved or shared with other applications.
@as


I think this has something to do with the gsettings in my Anaconda installation in light of https://askubuntu.com/a/943739/457920.



The keyboard layout I am using is "English (international AltGr dead keys)", and the "AltGr" key in that layout works fine for me. The "Compose" key still fails to work when I switch to the more basic "English (US)" keyboard layout.



Has anyone else experienced this problem or know of places to look for the source? I've found the question Compose key not working on Ubuntu 16.04, but the behavior there doesn't match my situation (the question poster had "Compose" working in some, but not all, applications, whereas my "Compose" key doesn't work in any application I've tried, mostly Firefox and Terminal).



Edit: One additional point about my setup that may be relevant is that I run both Unity and xmonad as my window managers. xmonad uses the "Super" key for special things, so I suppose there's a possibility that it is messing with the keyboard layout in a conflicting way. The problems I describe with the "Compose" key are present both when using Unity and when using xmonad.



Edit 2: Upon request, I tried setting the "Compose" key in a guest session, and everything worked fine there, so that seems to be a clue.










share|improve this question















I'm running ubuntu 16.04 LTS, and have used the "Keyboard" application to set my "Compose" key, but every time I do the key retains its old function. I've tried this with "Caps Lock", "Right Ctrl", and "Menu", and have logged out and back in between making the change with no effect.



The change is saved in the "Keyboard" application the next time I log in, and I can also check it in gsettings:



$ /usr/bin/gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
['compose:menu']


I have to specify the path for gsettings because when I don't I get the following message:



$ gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
GLib-GIO-Message: Using the 'memory' GSettings backend. Your settings will not be saved or shared with other applications.
@as


I think this has something to do with the gsettings in my Anaconda installation in light of https://askubuntu.com/a/943739/457920.



The keyboard layout I am using is "English (international AltGr dead keys)", and the "AltGr" key in that layout works fine for me. The "Compose" key still fails to work when I switch to the more basic "English (US)" keyboard layout.



Has anyone else experienced this problem or know of places to look for the source? I've found the question Compose key not working on Ubuntu 16.04, but the behavior there doesn't match my situation (the question poster had "Compose" working in some, but not all, applications, whereas my "Compose" key doesn't work in any application I've tried, mostly Firefox and Terminal).



Edit: One additional point about my setup that may be relevant is that I run both Unity and xmonad as my window managers. xmonad uses the "Super" key for special things, so I suppose there's a possibility that it is messing with the keyboard layout in a conflicting way. The problems I describe with the "Compose" key are present both when using Unity and when using xmonad.



Edit 2: Upon request, I tried setting the "Compose" key in a guest session, and everything worked fine there, so that seems to be a clue.







gnome shortcut-keys keyboard-layout






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share|improve this question








edited Feb 6 at 17:08

























asked Feb 5 at 19:12









azaghal

12




12











  • Can you please enter a guest session, enable a compose key there, and let us know whether it works in the guest session.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 2:56










  • The compose key works when I enable it in a guest session. Presumably that suggests something about where I should be looking to fix the problem for my user account?
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 17:06










  • Sort of. It tells us that the problem lies somewhere in your home directory. ;) It's a subtle issue; this bug report includes some reported workarounds which have solved it for some people.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 18:07










  • I'll look through that bug report to see if anything helps. I'm concerned that the bug report doesn't describe what I'm experiencing, though, since my AltGr dead keys work fine, and my problem with the compose key is not limited to the terminal.
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 19:23
















  • Can you please enter a guest session, enable a compose key there, and let us know whether it works in the guest session.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 2:56










  • The compose key works when I enable it in a guest session. Presumably that suggests something about where I should be looking to fix the problem for my user account?
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 17:06










  • Sort of. It tells us that the problem lies somewhere in your home directory. ;) It's a subtle issue; this bug report includes some reported workarounds which have solved it for some people.
    – Gunnar Hjalmarsson
    Feb 6 at 18:07










  • I'll look through that bug report to see if anything helps. I'm concerned that the bug report doesn't describe what I'm experiencing, though, since my AltGr dead keys work fine, and my problem with the compose key is not limited to the terminal.
    – azaghal
    Feb 6 at 19:23















Can you please enter a guest session, enable a compose key there, and let us know whether it works in the guest session.
– Gunnar Hjalmarsson
Feb 6 at 2:56




Can you please enter a guest session, enable a compose key there, and let us know whether it works in the guest session.
– Gunnar Hjalmarsson
Feb 6 at 2:56












The compose key works when I enable it in a guest session. Presumably that suggests something about where I should be looking to fix the problem for my user account?
– azaghal
Feb 6 at 17:06




The compose key works when I enable it in a guest session. Presumably that suggests something about where I should be looking to fix the problem for my user account?
– azaghal
Feb 6 at 17:06












Sort of. It tells us that the problem lies somewhere in your home directory. ;) It's a subtle issue; this bug report includes some reported workarounds which have solved it for some people.
– Gunnar Hjalmarsson
Feb 6 at 18:07




Sort of. It tells us that the problem lies somewhere in your home directory. ;) It's a subtle issue; this bug report includes some reported workarounds which have solved it for some people.
– Gunnar Hjalmarsson
Feb 6 at 18:07












I'll look through that bug report to see if anything helps. I'm concerned that the bug report doesn't describe what I'm experiencing, though, since my AltGr dead keys work fine, and my problem with the compose key is not limited to the terminal.
– azaghal
Feb 6 at 19:23




I'll look through that bug report to see if anything helps. I'm concerned that the bug report doesn't describe what I'm experiencing, though, since my AltGr dead keys work fine, and my problem with the compose key is not limited to the terminal.
– azaghal
Feb 6 at 19:23










1 Answer
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I've had the same issue in xmonad - while the compose key was working fine in "Gnome Flashback (Metacity)", it had no effect when I used it in "Gnome Flashback (Xmonad)".



I tried all kinds of solutions, including setting the compose key in gsettings (As described in the question) and trying different options in im-config and others in the related bug report.



What finally worked for me was a simple:




setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"




(I'm using the left Windows-key as compose key, replace with "compose:menu" to fully answer the question)



To make this permanent on Ubuntu 16.04 for your user, add the command to ~/.xsessionrc:



echo '/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"' >> ~/.xsessionrc





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    up vote
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    down vote













    I've had the same issue in xmonad - while the compose key was working fine in "Gnome Flashback (Metacity)", it had no effect when I used it in "Gnome Flashback (Xmonad)".



    I tried all kinds of solutions, including setting the compose key in gsettings (As described in the question) and trying different options in im-config and others in the related bug report.



    What finally worked for me was a simple:




    setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"




    (I'm using the left Windows-key as compose key, replace with "compose:menu" to fully answer the question)



    To make this permanent on Ubuntu 16.04 for your user, add the command to ~/.xsessionrc:



    echo '/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"' >> ~/.xsessionrc





    share|improve this answer


























      up vote
      0
      down vote













      I've had the same issue in xmonad - while the compose key was working fine in "Gnome Flashback (Metacity)", it had no effect when I used it in "Gnome Flashback (Xmonad)".



      I tried all kinds of solutions, including setting the compose key in gsettings (As described in the question) and trying different options in im-config and others in the related bug report.



      What finally worked for me was a simple:




      setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"




      (I'm using the left Windows-key as compose key, replace with "compose:menu" to fully answer the question)



      To make this permanent on Ubuntu 16.04 for your user, add the command to ~/.xsessionrc:



      echo '/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"' >> ~/.xsessionrc





      share|improve this answer
























        up vote
        0
        down vote










        up vote
        0
        down vote









        I've had the same issue in xmonad - while the compose key was working fine in "Gnome Flashback (Metacity)", it had no effect when I used it in "Gnome Flashback (Xmonad)".



        I tried all kinds of solutions, including setting the compose key in gsettings (As described in the question) and trying different options in im-config and others in the related bug report.



        What finally worked for me was a simple:




        setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"




        (I'm using the left Windows-key as compose key, replace with "compose:menu" to fully answer the question)



        To make this permanent on Ubuntu 16.04 for your user, add the command to ~/.xsessionrc:



        echo '/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"' >> ~/.xsessionrc





        share|improve this answer














        I've had the same issue in xmonad - while the compose key was working fine in "Gnome Flashback (Metacity)", it had no effect when I used it in "Gnome Flashback (Xmonad)".



        I tried all kinds of solutions, including setting the compose key in gsettings (As described in the question) and trying different options in im-config and others in the related bug report.



        What finally worked for me was a simple:




        setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"




        (I'm using the left Windows-key as compose key, replace with "compose:menu" to fully answer the question)



        To make this permanent on Ubuntu 16.04 for your user, add the command to ~/.xsessionrc:



        echo '/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "compose:lwin"' >> ~/.xsessionrc






        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Aug 7 at 13:48

























        answered Aug 7 at 10:27









        Christian Benke

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