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[Launchpad Bug Tracker <327963@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This bug was fixed in the package xkeyboard-config - 1.6-1ubuntu3

---------------
xkeyboard-config (1.6-1ubuntu3) karmic; urgency=low

  * Add 101_rus.patch:  Tag USA Russian Phonetic keyboard layout with
    Russian language tag.
    (LP: #429034)
  * Add 102_mac_aliases.patch: Fix error activating XKB config on MacBook
    due to lack of mac w/ deadkeys layout aliases.
    (LP: #327963)

 -- Bryce Harrington <bryce@xxxxxxxxxx>   Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:27:33
-0700

** Changed in: xkeyboard-config (Ubuntu)
       Status: Triaged => Fix Released

-- 
Error activating XKB configuration with MacBook keyboard model
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/327963
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Status in Mactel Support: New
Status in central project for keyboard configuration: Unknown
Status in “xkeyboard-config” package in Ubuntu: Fix Released

Bug description:
Binary package hint: xkb-data

I've got Intrepid installed on a MacBookPro5,1 with German keyboard layout. I started configuring the keyboads using gnome-keyboard-properties as available from the settings menu. I first selected the layout "Germany Macintosh, eliminate dead keys" and followed that up with changing the model to "MacBook/MacBook Pro (Intl)". This resulted in an error message "Error activating XKB configuration" which asked me to prvide this additional information:

$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "mac_nodeadkeys", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "mac_nodeadkeys", ""

$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd
 layouts = []
 model = macbook79
 options = []

As the error message from the dialog contains little actual information, I straced gnome-settings-daemon and identified a failing invocation of xkbcomp as the likely cause of the issue. By renaming /usr/bin/xkbcomp and replacing it with a wrapper script, I managed to get my hands on its input file and reproduce the issue:

$ cat /tmp/fileJPMGgA 
xkb_keymap {
        xkb_keycodes  { include "evdev+aliases(qwertz)" };
        xkb_types     { include "complete+numpad(mac)" };
        xkb_compat    { include "complete" };
        xkb_symbols   { include "pc+macintosh_vndr/de(mac_nodeadkeys)+inet(evdev)" };
        xkb_geometry  { include "macintosh(macbook79)" };
};

$ xkbcomp -I -I/usr/share/X11/xkb -xkm /tmp/fileJPMGgA /tmp/fileNtKqh7
Error:            No Symbols named "mac_nodeadkeys" in the include file "macintosh_vndr/de"
                  Exiting
                  Abandoning symbols file "(null)"

That looks like a much better error description. Looking at /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/macintosh_vndr/de I see that indeed it doesn't contain a description of "mac_nodeadkeys". Neither does it include /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/de where the mac_nodeadkeys would have been defined. Changing the layout to simple "Germany Eliminate dead keys", I could use the MacBook keyboard model all right, just as mac_nodeadkeys layout worked all right with a Generic keyboard model. However, both combinations don't fully match the key labels.

My first concern is that for an obvious choice like a MacBook keyboard model with a mac keyboard layout, no obscure error messages should be generated by the Gnome UI. Secondly, it would be nice to actually get Mac keyboard layout, in order to stay consistent with OS X and friends.