2025-01-21

qgmlwb keyboard layout in various formats

qgmlwb for X (linux)

be sure to set the correct permissions for the installed files, as the common layout loader programs do not give obvious error messages.

i have been using qgmlwb for many years now, probably over five. it is not a common layout - the closest more popular one is probably colemak.

for x11

the qgmlwb layout for x11 (x.org) in a single text file that is easy to edit. it works on almost all gnu/linux distributions with graphical interface (ubuntu, mint, arch, you name it)

download

programs like fcitx need more configuration to correctly list the layout, see custom keyboard layout under linux X11.

`1234567890-=  ~!@#$%^&*()_+
qgmlwbyuv;[]   QGMLWBYUV:{}
dstnriaeoh'\   DSTNRIAEOH"|
zxcfjkp,./     ZXCFJKP<>?

install

chmod 644 qgmlwb
# now with root rights
cp qgmlwb /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/

enable

setxkbmap qgmlwb

alternative version

this version has rearranged special characters, giving priority to characters like ()[]{}\/_- for programming

download

1234567890{}   !@#$%^&*<>[]
qgmlwbyuv:?=\  QGMLWBYUV;'+
dstnriaeoh/|   DSTNRIAEOH\)
zxcfjkp,.-     ZXCFJKP"(_

for the console

this is the qgmlwb layout in loadkeys format (a text file compressed with gzip). many distributions use loadkeys for setting the console font.

download

install

chmod 644 qgmlwb.map.gz
# now with root rights
mkdir /usr/share/kbd/keymaps/i386/qgmlwb/
mv qgmlwb.map.gz /usr/share/kbd/keymaps/i386/qgmlwb/

enable (on a console, not an xserver session)

loadkeys qgmlwb