Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 04:08:07 +0000 From: Robert Downes <nullentropy@lineone.net> To: FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Dvorak keymap in single user mode Message-ID: <3FF4EEA7.4030709@lineone.net> In-Reply-To: <3FF4E439.3040700@lineone.net> References: <3FF4E439.3040700@lineone.net>
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Robert Downes wrote: > I use the US Dvorak keyboard layout, and I find it very difficult to > type in single user mode (when installing world, for example), because > single user mode uses the QWERTY keyboard layout, and does not seem to > pay any attention to kbdmap (I think that's the command name - the one > with the interactive keymap chooser). > > Someone suggested that it's possible to compile the Dvorak layout into > my kernel, but how is this done, and is there an easier way of > changing keyboard layout in single user mode? > Okay, made some progress here. Finally noticed that kbdmap says, quite clearly, *BUGS* <http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=kbdmap&sektion=1&apropos=0&manpath=FreeBSD+5.1-RELEASE+and+Ports#end>; The *kbdmap* and *vidfont* utilities work only on a (virtual) console and not with X11. The single user mode is not a virtual console, as virtual consoles are not permitted to run during single user mode. However, the command-line (non-interactive) equivalent is kbdcontrol, and it seems to suffer no such limitation. So, once in single user mode, type mount -a to make sure that /usr is mounted (needed because it contains the keymaps), and then type df to check that the filesystems are mounted. (Actually, you may not need all of them.) If /usr is now showing up, type kbdcontrol -l us.dvorak and you will be reunited with the (cough... superior... cough) Dvorak keyboard layout. This can be done with any of the available layout files in /usr/share/syscons/keymaps However, never happy with a simple option, I wonder if there's an easy (read lazy) option... is it possible to automate this process, so that this command is run by default? (Or is that inadvisable because it requires /usr to be available, and /usr should not necessarily be available in single user mode everytime?) -- Bob
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