[ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

OK guys, here it is - UI for full language/layout support for external keyboard attached to N900. Tested to work with both USB and Bluetooth keyboards.

INSTALLATION - enable Extras Development repository and install External Keyboard Support. This should install xkb-data-extkbd package too.


CONFIGURATION - new applet should appear in settings->personalisation . Click it while external keyboard is attached - you should be given an UI to play with.

There is no need to run extkbd UI every time you connect keyboard, only for initial setup and if you need to change layout or setup new keyboard.

"Cannot open /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/99-x11-external-keyboard.fdi - no such file or directory" message appears first time you start control panel applet. Just ignore it :)

WARNING: Usual warnings for using software from extras-devel apply. You've been warned.

UNINSTALLING:
In usual way using Application Manager


UPDATE: Seems that there is a conflict with bt-hid-scripts package, will try to resolve it and will upload fixed version. For now you should deinstall bt-hid-scripts before installing extkbd.

UPDATE2: For some reason me and qole did not agree on how to cleanup conflict between bt-hid-scripts and extkbd, so you have to make choice which one to use. Good news is that if you choose extkbd there is also mouse support available without using bt-hid-scripts, look here
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=882380

UPDATE3: 29-11-2010 There should be no conflict between extkbd and latest version of bt-hid-scripts according to qole, not tested though.

UPDATE4: 13.02.2011 Input BT plugin is auto-enabled, no more need to edit /etc/bluetooth/main.conf. Stock Bluetooth UI now has an option to connect BT HID devices. And there is portrait mode support :)

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

...
Unpacking xkb-data-extkbd (from .../xkb-data-extkbd_1.8-1-1m5_all.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xkb-data-extkbd_1.8-1-1m5_all.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/share/X11/xkb/geometry/pc', which is also in package bt-hid-scripts
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/xkb-data-extkbd_1.8-1-1m5_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Now it doesn't let me remove or install neither of those packages even after reboot. Apt-get -f install didn't help. Is reflashing the only solution to this? Luckily I have fresh back-up.

Edit: You're too slow. :)
dpkg -P bt-hid-scripts and apt-get -f install helped.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Sorry for being slow but it was Saturday evening ;) . Did you succeed to install extkbd?

Cheers.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Probably not, depend on packages with the same files instead of duplicating them.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Maybe you will give me a hint how to solve that, bt-hid-scripts contain several files(3) which are from unknown version of xkeyboard-config. For sure I will contact qole.

Cheers

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Sure, just add bt-hid-scripts to Depends: in debian/control, then get rid of the files there from your package.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Do you mean to add bt-hid-scripts to Replaces: in debian/control? No way to remove those files, as they are part of xkeyboard-config 1.8.1 (what xkb-data-extkbd actually is, just modified to be compiled under scratchbox) . And the files bt-hid-scripts distributes are maybe from xkeyboard-config 1.5 or something and provide only pc/us keyboard layout. However already PM qole, will wait his opinion on the case.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Yeah, I managed to install it by first completely removing the Bluetooth HID scripts. As far as I know dpkg -P bt-hid-scripts does the same as apt-get --purge remove bt-hid-scripts? Now the extkbd works as it should work. :)

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

my n900 kept on rebooting and never start up!!! this application needs to be in extra testing not in devel..............i had to flash my n900 coz of this................. :mad:

Re: [ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd
 

Thanks for the program, just what I needed!
ATM, though, it doesn't worky for me. I'm unable to connect my bt keyboard, as the bluetooth-symbol in the system tray lights up blue for a fraction of a second and then goes white again if I turn on my (paired) keyboard. I believe that's the same problem that the bt-hid-scripts tried to solve (and they did for me, but didn't get the layout right).
Because the keyboard can't connect to the N900, I don't see any keyboards in the keyboards dialog in your app.

Any idea how to solve this? I'd really love to finally use my kb :)