The compose key stopped working in LibreOffice and in Kate, just to name two applications. I hope this bug has an easy fix (because I make heavy use of compose key combinations, lol)
Looking forward to some responses and I’ll gladly help out with some logfiles if that helps solve the problem!
I would suggest checking
If you can’t find anything there (maybe https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=457387?), file a bug.
compose dying in libreoffice + kate is usually the app input method path.
check:
-setxkbmap -query
-localectl status
-echo $GTK_IM_MODULE $QT_IM_MODULE $XMODIFIERS
libreoffice: Tools → Options → Language Settings → Languages → input method. flip Use system once.
kate/qt:
-QT_IM_MODULE=ibus kate
-or QT_IM_MODULE=xim kate if ur on xim
also System Settings → Keyboard → Key Bindings, make sure Compose key is still set after the last update.
should give a line in it’s output for options: that look something like this
options: lv3:ralt_switch,compose:rctrl,grp:lctrl_lwin_toggle
my compose key is defined as the right control key
your ~/.config/kxkbrc should also confirm the same with
Options=lv3:ralt_switch,compose:rctrl,grp:lctrl_lwin_toggle
also from my notes:
# if the plasma GUI settings gets broken the system will ignore the settings file
# and the following command line utility can be used to set the configuration of the
# Compose key and 3rdkey choices for accessing the special characters.
sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration
#
# however, if the layout and variant settings from that command are also ignored,
# then in order to set the default layout after each reboot, use root to edit this file.
/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-keyboard.conf
# to fix broken keyboard layout switching
sudo apt reinstall ibus-data
#
# be sure to re-enable the keyboard daemon, if it has been turned off
settings > autostart > background services > keyboard deamon
# and be sure to configure the system tray entry for keyboard layout to Always shown
#
# this shows ibus as a suggested package when ibus-data is installed
aptitude why ibus
i plasma-desktop Recommends ibus-data
i A ibus-data Suggests ibus
#
# this results in blue language indicator in system tray but cannot switch layouts
# so recommend removing ibus and just leaving ibus-data in place.Some info I should perhaps add: The KDE Plasma Sticky Note Widget on my desktop and file open/save as dialogues could handle compose key input in the past, but now don’t recognise it any more (I just found out). I’m on Fedora 44 with fcitx5 managing input methods, not ibus.
> setxkbmap -query
WARNING: Running setxkbmap against an Xwayland server
rules: evdev
model: pc105
layout: us
options: compose:ralt
Could the Xwayland warning be the issue?
> localectl status
[…]
X11 Model: pc105
X11 Options: grp:rctrl_ralt_toggle
> echo $GTK_IM_MODULE $QT_IM_MODULE $XMODIFIERS
<no output>
These variables don’t seem to be set on my system.
I’m on Libre Office 26.2.6.3 and the only setting that I see resembling this would be: Tools → Options → Languages and Locales → General → Enhanced Language Support: Ignore system input language
No QT_IM_MODULE I try to start kate with changes the unrecognised compose key behaviour in the app.
The compose key is still correctly set here.
do you have ibus-data installed (should have come with the plasma-desktop)?
my experience was that fcitx5 conflicts with ibus-data and when i tried them both (together, then separately because of conflicts) i preferred the latter as better integrated into plasma.
ur env vars being empty with fcitx5 is probably why kate/lo ignore compose even tho plasma still has ralt set.
id try putting this in ~/.bash_profile or a plasma env script:
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx
then log out/in once. fcitx5-configtool → check compose is enabled there too. the xwayland warning from setxkbmap is normal on wayland.