Xorg: Two keyboards with different keyboard layout.

gistfile1.txt

# Use xinput to find your keyboards.

$ xinput 
⎡ Virtual core pointer                    	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad              	id=11	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint                   	id=12	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech Performance MX                 	id=14	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ E-Signal USB Gaming Keyboard            	id=16	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                   	id=3	[master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard             	id=5	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                            	id=6	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                               	id=7	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                            	id=8	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Integrated Camera                       	id=9	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard            	id=10	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ ThinkPad Extra Buttons                  	id=13	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sennheiser Sennheiser 3D G4ME1          	id=15	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ E-Signal USB Gaming Keyboard            	id=17	[slave  keyboard (3)]

# My keyboards are id 10 (laptop integrated) and id 17 (external keyboard). 

# Now, set my external keyboard to be Swedish layout, and my internal to Dvorak:
$ setxkbmap -device 17 se
$ setxkbmap -device 10 dvorak

# Done!

Is there a way to put this into a udev rule so it is automatic every time?
Problem being that the id changes often when USB devices are plugged in or unplugged. For a udev rule a vendor/product id solution would be suitable.

Honestly, I have no idea because I don't know nearly enough about udev. I only use this sporadically when pairing, so I don't mind fiddling a bit beforehand. If you do find a persistent solution, I would be interested to learn how you did!

I found a udev solution at: https://askubuntu.com/a/809398

Adjust to suit your vendor/product and layout preferences. This is my /etc/udev/rules.d/66-keyboard.rules

ACTION =="add", ATTRS{idVendor} =="081e", ATTRS{idProduct} =="bd04", ENV{XKBMODEL}="pc104", ENV{XKBLAYOUT}="us", ENV{XKBVARIANT}="", ENV{XKBOPTIONS}="ctrl:nocaps"

Reload rules with:
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

Your Xorg log should reflect the correct layout when you plug in a matching keyboard.

I found a udev solution at: https://askubuntu.com/a/809398

Is this working for you? On which OS / Version?

Yes. I'm currently using it on Debian 10 (buster). When plugging the matching keyboard in /var/log/Xorg.0.log I see:

> 
> [1086675.797] (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart (/dev/input/event256)
> [1086675.800] (**) AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
> [1086675.800] (**) AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: Applying InputClass "libinput keyboard catchall"
> [1086675.801] (II) Using input driver 'libinput' for 'AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart'
> [1086675.801] (**) AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: always reports core events
> [1086675.801] (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event256"
> [1086675.801] (**) Option "_source" "server/udev"
> [1086675.806] (II) event256 - AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
> [1086675.806] (II) event256 - AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: device is a keyboard
> [1086675.806] (II) event256 - AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: device removed
> [1086675.852] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.3/0000:02:00.2/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:00.0/usb3/3-2/3-2.1/3-2.1:1.0/0003:081E:BD04.003D/input/input96/event256"
> [1086675.852] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart" (type: KEYBOARD, id 26)
> [1086675.852] (**) Option "xkb_model" "pc104"
> [1086675.852] (**) Option "xkb_layout" "us"
> [1086675.852] (**) Option "xkb_options" "ctrl:nocaps"
> [1086675.889] (II) event256 - AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
> [1086675.889] (II) event256 - AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart: device is a keyboard

In Kubuntu 21.04 with
ACTION =="add", ATTRS{idVendor} =="3938", ATTRS{idProduct} =="2202", ENV{XKBMODEL}="pc104", ENV{XKBLAYOUT}="kr", ENV{XKBVARIANT}="", ENV{XKBOPTIONS}="compose:caps"

my log shows indeed

[ 39777.230] (II) config/udev: Adding input device MAXTILL Blade Keyboard (/dev/input/event17)
[ 39777.230] (**) MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: Applying InputClass "libinput keyboard catchall"
[ 39777.230] (II) Using input driver 'libinput' for 'MAXTILL Blade Keyboard'
[ 39777.230] (**) MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: always reports core events
[ 39777.230] (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event17"
[ 39777.230] (**) Option "_source" "server/udev"
[ 39777.240] (II) event17 - MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[ 39777.241] (II) event17 - MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: device is a keyboard
[ 39777.241] (II) event17 - MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: device removed
[ 39777.250] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-4/3-4.4/3-4.4.1/3-4.4.1:1.3/0003:3938:2202.0057/input/input221/event17"
[ 39777.250] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "MAXTILL Blade Keyboard" (type: KEYBOARD, id 12)
[ 39777.250] (**) Option "xkb_model" "pc104"
[ 39777.250] (**) Option "xkb_layout" "kr"
[ 39777.250] (**) Option "xkb_options" "compose:caps"
[ 39777.255] (II) event17 - MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[ 39777.255] (II) event17 - MAXTILL Blade Keyboard: device is a keyboard

However, only the keyboard layout widget in the system tray can actually change the layout.

Shouldn't it be possible to set the mapping in an evdev confg file in /etc/X11/xorg directory? If possible I think this is more natural than using an udev rule for this. Unfortunately I do not know how to achieve it.

Well, it did not take long, I have tried myself doing a configuration that allows me changing between "us" and "us intl" in the internal laptop keyboard, and between "es", "us" and "us intl" for external USB keyboards. It works like a charm:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev keyboard catchall"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "XkbLayout" "es,us,us"
		Option "XkbVariant" ",,intl"
		Option "XkbOptions" "grp:lalt_lshift_toggle"
EndSection
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev internal keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
	MatchProduct "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us,us"
		Option "XkbVariant" ",intl"
		Option "XkbOptions" "grp:lalt_lshift_toggle"
EndSection

Shouldn't it be possible to set the mapping in an evdev confg file in /etc/X11/xorg directory? If possible I think this is more natural than using an udev rule for this. Unfortunately I do not know how to achieve it.

I don't have a xorg folder in /etc/X11/ (ubuntu 21.04) should I create that?

Sorry, the correct directory is /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/, at least in ArchLinux

If you don't have neither directory, maybe you can try searching where the .conf files are in /etc/X11, I suppose there should be some .conf files in there.

Hi, I'd like to make the space key of the second keyboard output hyper or some other key. Does somebody know how do do that?