Keyboard Debate
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=== How to use the Qtopia keyboard shipped with Om 2008.8 ? === | === How to use the Qtopia keyboard shipped with Om 2008.8 ? === | ||
| − | + | Summary: | |
| + | * Slide finger left = backspace. | ||
| + | * Slide finger right = space. | ||
| + | * Slide finger up/down = changes between lowercase/uppercase/numbers/special characters. | ||
| + | * The 'Enter' key is bottom right on the special characters page | ||
| + | * Hovering over a letter for more than 2 seconds activates zoom mode, allowing you to type specific letters without prediction. | ||
| + | Detailed version: see [[Om_2008.8_Keyboard| How to use the Qtopia keyboard]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | [edit] | ||
=== How to have a toggle button to make the keyboard appear/disappear ? === | === How to have a toggle button to make the keyboard appear/disappear ? === | ||
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Short answer: ''opkg install illume-config''. | Short answer: ''opkg install illume-config''. | ||
Long answer: [[Keyboard Toggle|here]]. | Long answer: [[Keyboard Toggle|here]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === How to install the matchbox keyboard ? === | ||
| + | |||
| + | Short answer: ''opkg install matchbox-keyboard-applet matchbox-keyboard-inputmethod'' | ||
| + | Long answer: [[Switching_Keyboards|here]]. | ||
=== How to change the keyboards layout ? === | === How to change the keyboards layout ? === | ||
Revision as of 14:57, 28 August 2008
| NOTE: This is an emotionally laden topic. Please stick to facts and Neutral Point of View. |
| NOTE: This is work in progress. Please help by linking to appropriate messages and wiki pages. |
Summary of the problem
Om 2008.8 uses Qtopia for its phone stack. Qtopia has a build-in keyboard primarily designed to compose SMS in English. This keyboard is very impractical to use with a terminal or enter an URL.
More details..., list of all keyboard bugs in the defect tracking system.
List of available keyboards
Qtopia keyboard
The Qtopia keyboard build-in Om 2008.8. See also the [documentation at Trolltech]
Matchbox keyboard
The matchbox keyboard.
Illume keyboard
The illume virtual keyboard a.k.a. Raster's keyboard.
Probably looking like this
See also Illume#Virtual_Keyboard (which would need to be completed ;)
Vkbd system
The vkbd system.
How to use the Qtopia keyboard shipped with Om 2008.8 ?
Summary:
- Slide finger left = backspace.
- Slide finger right = space.
- Slide finger up/down = changes between lowercase/uppercase/numbers/special characters.
- The 'Enter' key is bottom right on the special characters page
- Hovering over a letter for more than 2 seconds activates zoom mode, allowing you to type specific letters without prediction.
Detailed version: see How to use the Qtopia keyboard.
[edit]
How to have a toggle button to make the keyboard appear/disappear ?
Short answer: opkg install illume-config. Long answer: here.
How to install the matchbox keyboard ?
Short answer: opkg install matchbox-keyboard-applet matchbox-keyboard-inputmethod Long answer: here.
How to change the keyboards layout ?
TBD
How to change the dictionary used by the predictive keyboards ?
TBD
How to toggle the predictive mode on and off ?
TBD
How to "turn off" Qtopia keyboard ?
By default, if illume keyboard is installed, it will compete with the qtopia one with non-predictable results on which one is displayed on top (correct me if I'm wrong).
According to Comment on ticket 1864: You can put "export QTOPIA_NO_VIRTUAL_KEYBOARD=1" into /etc/X11/Xsession.d/89qtopia and qpe will not instantiate a virtual keyboard and illume's keyboard should be shown.
Another option involves patching and recompiling qpe.
How to make Qtopia keyboards and illume/raster keyboard coexist ?
TBD
Your short-term options
- Live with it, let go (for a while) the desire to use the terminal locally, login remotely via ssh when you need.
- Get an external keyboard, USB or Bluetooth, light and foldable if you want.
- Switch to 2007.2 (but then similar issues arise : Switching Keyboards on Om 2007.2), FSO or Debian.
- Recompile Qtopia and provide a package.
PS: Complaining that management does not listen to the users needs is not a productive option.
Perspectives for long-term resolution
On August 27th 2008, Marek from Openmoko inc. announced the intention to focus on the low-level layers. Future "base system" distribution may not include any phone stack at all.
