Opened 6 months ago
Closed 6 months ago
#21951 closed enhancement (fixed)
libxkbcommon-1.11.0
| Reported by: | Bruce Dubbs | Owned by: | Douglas R. Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority: | normal | Milestone: | 12.4 |
| Component: | BOOK | Version: | git |
| Severity: | normal | Keywords: | |
| Cc: |
Description
New minor version.
Change History (4)
comment:1 by , 6 months ago
comment:2 by , 6 months ago
| Owner: | changed from to |
|---|---|
| Status: | new → assigned |
comment:3 by , 6 months ago
libxkbcommon 1.11.0 – 2025-08-08
The highlight of this release is the introduction of a new keymap text format,
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2, in order to fix decade-old issues inherited from the X11
ecosystem. See the API section for documentation of its use.
Keymap text format
New
A new keymap text format v2 has been introduced as a superset of the legacy v1 format.
The format is not yet frozen and considered a living standard, although future
iterations should be backward-compatible. See the compatibility page for detailed
information of the features of each format.
Added the new parameter lockOnRelease for the key action LockGroup() (#420).
It enables to use e.g. the combination Alt + Shift alone to switch layouts, while
keeping the use of Alt + Shift + other key (typically for keyboard shortcuts).
It enables to fix a 20-year old issue inherited from the X11 ecosystem, by extending
the XKB protocol key actions.
As it is incompatible with X11, this feature is available only using
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2.
Added the new parameter unlockOnPress for the key modifier action SetMods(),
LatchMods() and LockMods() (#372 and #780).
It enables e.g. to deactivate CapsLock on press rather than on release, as in other
platforms such as Windows.
It enables to fix the following two issues inherited from the X11 ecosystem, by
extending the XKB protocol key actions:
a 18-year old issue;
a 12-year old issue.
As it is incompatible with X11, this feature is available only using
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2.
Added the new parameter latchOnPress for the key action LatchMods().
Some keyboard layouts use ISO_Level3_Latch or ISO_Level5_Latch to define “built-in”
dead keys. latchOnPress enables to behave as usual dead keys, i.e. to latch on press and
to deactivate as soon as another (non-modifier) key is pressed.
As it is incompatible with X11, this feature is available only using
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2.
Raised the layout count limit from 4 to 32. Requires using
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2. (#37)
It enables to fix a 16-year old issue inherited from the X11 ecosystem.
Virtual modifiers are now mapped to their canonical encoding if they are not mapped
explicitly (virtual_modifiers M = …) nor implicitly (using modifier_map/
virtualModifier).
This feature is enabled only when using ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2, as it may
result in encodings not compatible with X11.
Added support for the constants Level<INDEX> for any valid level index, instead of
the previous limited range Level1..Level8.
Enable to use absolute paths and %-expansion variables for including keymap
components, in the same fashion than the rules files.
Rules text format
New
Added support for layout-specific options. It enables specifying a layout index for
each option by appending ! + 1-indexed layout, so that it applies only if the layout
matches. (#500)
API
Breaking changes
xkb_keymap_new_from_names() now uses the new keymap format
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2.
When using ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1, multiple actions per level are now
serialized using VoidAction(), in order to maintain compatibility with X11. (#793)
Deprecated
xkb_keymap_new_from_names() is now deprecated; please use
xkb_keymap_new_from_names2() instead with an explicit keymap format.
New
Added the new keymap format ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2, which enables
libxkbcommon’s extensions incompatible with X11.
Note that fallback mechanisms ensure that it is possible to parse using one format
and serialize using another.
Wayland compositors may use the new format to parse keymaps, but they must use the
previous format ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1 whenever serializing for interchange. Since
almost features available only in the v2 format deal with state handling which is
managed in the server, clients should not be affected by a v2-to-v1 conversion.
Client applications should use the previous ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V1 to parse
keymaps, at least for now. They may use ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2 only if used with a
Wayland compositor using the same version of libxkbcommon and serializing to the new
format. This precaution will be necessary until the new format is stabilized.
Added xkb_keymap_new_from_names2() as an alternative to xkb_keymap_new_from_names(),
which is deprecated.
Added xkb_keymap_new_from_rmlvo() to compile a keymap using the new RMLVO builder
API.
Added a API to safely build a RMLVO configuration:
xkb_rmlvo_builder_new()
xkb_rmlvo_builder_append_layout()
xkb_rmlvo_builder_append_option()
xkb_rmlvo_builder_ref()
xkb_rmlvo_builder_unref()
Added xkb_keymap_mod_get_mask2() to query the mapping of a modifier by its index
rather than it name.
Update keysyms using latest xorgproto (commit:
ce7786ebb90f70897f8038d02ae187ab22766ab2).
Additions (xorgproto-93):
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectCD (alias for XKB_KEY_XF86CD)
XKB_KEY_XF86OK
XKB_KEY_XF86GoTo
XKB_KEY_XF86VendorLogo
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectProgramGuide
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectHome
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaLanguageMenu
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaTitleMenu
XKB_KEY_XF86AudioChannelMode
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectPC
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectTV
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectCable
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectVCR
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectVCRPlus
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectSatellite
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectTape
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectRadio
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectTuner
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaPlayer
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectTeletext
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectDVD (alias for XKB_KEY_XF86DVD)
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaSelectAuxiliary
XKB_KEY_XF86MediaPlaySlow
XKB_KEY_XF86NumberEntryMode
Registry: added rxkb_option_is_layout_specific() to query if an option accepts
layout index specifiers to restrict its application to the corresponding layouts. (#500)
Fixes
Fixed incorrect implementation of latchToLock for LatchMods(), which could result in
unintended CapsLock unlock. (#808)
Fixed xkb_utf32_to_keysym() returning deprecated keysyms for some Unicode code
points.
Fixed breaking a latch not honoring clearLocks=no.
Tools
Breaking changes
The tools now use:
::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2 as a default input format.
::XKB_KEYMAP_USE_ORIGINAL_FORMAT as a default output format. So if the input
format is not specified, it will resolve to ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2.
The formats can be explicitly specified using the new --*format options.
New
Added --*format options to various tools for specifying and explicit keymap format
for parsing and serializing.
Added commands that automatically select the appropriate backend:
xkbcli interactive: try Wayland, X11 then fallback to the evdev backend.
xkbcli dump-keymap: try Wayland then fallback to the X11 backend.
Improved xkbcli interactive-*:
Print key release events.
Print detailed state change events.
Added --uniline to enable uniline event output (default).
Added --multiline to enable multiline event output, which provides more details
than the uniline mode.
Wayland and X11: Added --local-state to enable handling the keyboard state with
a local state machine instead of the display server. (#832)
Wayland and X11: Added --keymap to enable to use a custom keymap instead of the
keymap from the display server. Implies --local-state. (#833)
xkbcli how-to-type: Added --keymap to enable loading the keymap from a file or stdin
instead of resolving RMLVO names.
xkbcli how-to-type: Added Compose support, enabled by default and disabled using --
disable-compose. (#361)
xkbcli-list: Added layout-specific field for options. (#500)
Added --verbose to various tools, so that all tools have the option. (#833)
The XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2 format is designed to be incompatible with X11, and only with Wayland compositors. It fixes several decade old issues inherited from X11.
That being said it looks like we're good for now since the new format isn't stabilized and upstream recommends that client applications use the V1 format for now.
comment:4 by , 6 months ago
| Resolution: | → fixed |
|---|---|
| Status: | assigned → closed |
Note:
See TracTickets
for help on using tickets.
There is an incompatible change, xkb_keymap_new_from_names() now uses the new keymap format ::XKB_KEYMAP_FORMAT_TEXT_V2.
Having installed 1.11.0 I don't see any issue with an Xorg desktop operating properly but it is possible that other usages would lead to breakage that needed adjusting.