Usecases

Awesome widget

Short kbdd description, usecases and widget code can be found on awesome wiki

Kbdd + xmonad (success history)

Description of kbdd features and system configuration in xmonad imposeren`s blog

ktc

Tray indicator/switcher written in vala:

ktc

Fvwm

Create Perl script for Fvwm module ~/.fvwm/FvwmKbdd.pl (and don't forget take a+x permission!!):

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use lib `fvwm-perllib dir`;
use FVWM::Module;
use General::Parse;
use Net::DBus;

my $bus = Net::DBus->session();
my $service = $bus->get_service("ru.gentoo.KbddService");
my $object = $service->get_object("/ru/gentoo/KbddService");

my $module = new FVWM::Module(
  Name => "FvwmKbdd",
  Mask => M_STRING,
  Debug => 1,
);

sub kbdd {
  my ($module, $event) = @_;
  my ($action, @args) = get_tokens($event->_text);
  if ($action eq "hello") {
    $module->send("Echo Hello from Kbdd...");
  } elsif ($action eq "hel") {
    $module->send("Echo xxx...");
  } elsif ($action eq "kbdd") {
    my $no = $args[0];
    if ((0 <= $no) && ($no < 4)) {
      $object->set_layout(Net::DBus::dbus_uint32($no));
    } else {
      $module->send("Echo Error: Kbdd no " . $no . "is not in 1..4 range");
    }
  } elsif ($action eq "stop") {
    $module->send("Echo Kbdd exit...");
    $module->terminate;
  } else {
    $module->send("Echo Kbdd unknown action: " . $action);
  }
}

$module->addHandler(M_STRING, \&kbdd);
$module->send("Echo Kbdd loaded...");
$module->event_loop;

Update content of ~/.fvwm/config startup script:

ModulePath $[FVWM_USERDIR]:+

Key 1 A 3 SendToModule FvwmKbdd.pl kbdd 0
Key 2 A 3 SendToModule FvwmKbdd.pl kbdd 1
Key 3 A 3 SendToModule FvwmKbdd.pl kbdd 2

AddToFunc StartFunction
++ I Module FvwmKbdd.pl

and setup langs in ~/.xinitrc:

setxkbmap us,ru,ua

As you see it is very easy. I spend 8 hours to take this work (learn Fvwm debug technique, Perl, FvwmPerl module, Net::DBus lib).

Using keys for switching xkb groups

In order to use kbdd as layout switcher one can use `xbindkeys` program for sending dbus events. So you can install `xbindkeys` and add next lines to `.xbindkeysrc` config file:

   "dbus-send --dest=ru.gentoo.KbddService /ru/gentoo/KbddService ru.gentoo.kbdd.set_layout uint32:0"
   Mod1+Shift + 1

   "dbus-send --dest=ru.gentoo.KbddService /ru/gentoo/KbddService ru.gentoo.kbdd.set_layout uint32:1"
   Mod1+Shift + 2

Thus will bind switching to first group on Alt+Shift+1 keys and second group on Alt+Shift+2 keys. You can add up to 4 groups (limited by XKB).

Using groups ring

If you use more than 3 layout groups you may be interested in using only 2 of them with current program.

To perform such action you should call prev_layout dbus method after switching layouts that you are interested in.

To do so you can use xbindkeys or any other program. Just add next lines to .xbindkeysrc file:

   "dbus-send --dest=ru.gentoo.KbddService /ru/gentoo/KbddService ru.gentoo.kbdd.prev_layout"
   Mod1+Shift + 5

and you can select last but one group used in current window.

Example Supposing you use 3 layout groups (1:en, 2:es, 3:de). Pressing Mod1+Shift+2 would switch to es, pressing Mod1+Shift+3 after that would switch to de, but es would be remembered as "previous layout". And you would be able to switch between es and de with Mod1+Shift+5.