Post History

How to use several keyboard layouts with Awesome WM?

I can't set two keyboard layouts with [Awesome WM](https://awesomewm.org/) (v4.3) on Debian 12.

Using the following configuration (in `rc.lua` config file of Awesome WM), only the french layout seems to be usable. The us layout is not accessible by clicking on the 'fr' symbol in the top bar menu of Awesome WM and I don't know if there is another way to select it:

```lua
-- Keyboard map indicator and changer
local keyboard_layout = require("keyboard_layout")
local kbdcfg = keyboard_layout.kbdcfg({type = "tui"})
kbdcfg.add_primary_layout("Français", "FR", "fr")
kbdcfg.add_additional_layout("English", "US", "us")
kbdcfg.bind()
```

**What am I doing wrong?**

<details>
<summary>

Here is my entire `rc.lua` config file of Awesome WM :

</summary>

```lua
-- If LuaRocks is installed, make sure that packages installed through it are
-- found (e.g. lgi). If LuaRocks is not installed, do nothing.
pcall(require, "luarocks.loader")

-- Standard awesome library
local gears = require("gears")
local awful = require("awful")
require("awful.autofocus")
-- Widget and layout library
local wibox = require("wibox")
-- Theme handling library
local beautiful = require("beautiful")
-- Notification library
local naughty = require("naughty")
local menubar = require("menubar")
local hotkeys_popup = require("awful.hotkeys_popup")
-- Enable hotkeys help widget for VIM and other apps
-- when client with a matching name is opened:
require("awful.hotkeys_popup.keys")

local tyrannical = require("tyrannical")

-- Load Debian menu entries
local debian = require("debian.menu")
local has_fdo, freedesktop = pcall(require, "freedesktop")

-- {{{ Error handling
-- Check if awesome encountered an error during startup and fell back to
-- another config (This code will only ever execute for the fallback config)
if awesome.startup_errors then
    naughty.notify({ preset = naughty.config.presets.critical,
                     title = "Oops, there were errors during startup!",
                     text = awesome.startup_errors })
end

-- Handle runtime errors after startup
do
    local in_error = false
    awesome.connect_signal("debug::error", function (err)
        -- Make sure we don't go into an endless error loop
        if in_error then return end
        in_error = true

        naughty.notify({ preset = naughty.config.presets.critical,
                         title = "Oops, an error happened!",
                         text = tostring(err) })
        in_error = false
    end)
end
-- }}}

-- {{{ Variable definitions
-- Themes define colours, icons, font and wallpapers.
beautiful.init(gears.filesystem.get_configuration_dir() .. "theme.lua")

-- This is used later as the default terminal and editor to run.
terminal = "x-terminal-emulator"
editor = os.getenv("EDITOR") or "editor"
editor_cmd = terminal .. " -e " .. editor

-- Default modkey.
-- Usually, Mod4 is the key with a logo between Control and Alt.
-- If you do not like this or do not have such a key,
-- I suggest you to remap Mod4 to another key using xmodmap or other tools.
-- However, you can use another modifier like Mod1, but it may interact with others.
modkey = "Mod4"

-- Table of layouts to cover with awful.layout.inc, order matters.
awful.layout.layouts = {
    awful.layout.suit.tile,
    awful.layout.suit.floating,
    awful.layout.suit.tile.left,
    awful.layout.suit.tile.bottom,
    awful.layout.suit.tile.top,
    --awful.layout.suit.fair,
    --awful.layout.suit.fair.horizontal,
    --awful.layout.suit.spiral,
    --awful.layout.suit.spiral.dwindle,
    awful.layout.suit.max,
    --awful.layout.suit.max.fullscreen,
    awful.layout.suit.magnifier,
    --awful.layout.suit.corner.nw,
    -- awful.layout.suit.corner.ne,
    -- awful.layout.suit.corner.sw,
    -- awful.layout.suit.corner.se,
}
-- }}}


-- {{{ Menu
-- Create a launcher widget and a main menu
myawesomemenu = {
   { "hotkeys", function() hotkeys_popup.show_help(nil, awful.screen.focused()) end },
   { "manual", terminal .. " -e man awesome" },
   { "edit config", editor_cmd .. " " .. awesome.conffile },
   { "restart", awesome.restart },
   { "quit", function() awesome.quit() end },
}

local menu_awesome = { "awesome", myawesomemenu, beautiful.awesome_icon }
local menu_terminal = { "open terminal", terminal }

if has_fdo then
    mymainmenu = freedesktop.menu.build({
        before = { menu_awesome },
        after =  { menu_terminal }
    })
else
    mymainmenu = awful.menu({
        items = {
                  menu_awesome,
                  { "Debian", debian.menu.Debian_menu.Debian },
                  menu_terminal,
                }
    })
end


mylauncher = awful.widget.launcher({ image = beautiful.awesome_icon,
                                     menu = mymainmenu })

-- Menubar configuration
menubar.utils.terminal = terminal -- Set the terminal for applications that require it
-- }}}

-- Keyboard map indicator and switcher
mykeyboardlayout = awful.widget.keyboardlayout()

-- {{{ Wibar
-- Create a textclock widget
mytextclock = wibox.widget.textclock()

-- Keyboard map indicator and changer
local keyboard_layout = require("keyboard_layout")
local kbdcfg = keyboard_layout.kbdcfg({type = "tui"})
kbdcfg.add_primary_layout("Français", "FR", "fr")
kbdcfg.add_additional_layout("English", "US", "us")
kbdcfg.bind()

-- Create a wibox for each screen and add it
local taglist_buttons = gears.table.join(
                    awful.button({ }, 1, function(t) t:view_only() end),
                    awful.button({ modkey }, 1, function(t)
                                              if client.focus then
                                                  client.focus:move_to_tag(t)
                                              end
                                          end),
                    awful.button({ }, 3, awful.tag.viewtoggle),
                    awful.button({ modkey }, 3, function(t)
                                              if client.focus then
                                                  client.focus:toggle_tag(t)
                                              end
                                          end),
                    awful.button({ }, 4, function(t) awful.tag.viewnext(t.screen) end),
                    awful.button({ }, 5, function(t) awful.tag.viewprev(t.screen) end)
                )

local tasklist_buttons = gears.table.join(
                     awful.button({ }, 1, function (c)
                                              if c == client.focus then
                                                  c.minimized = true
                                              else
                                                  c:emit_signal(
                                                      "request::activate",
                                                      "tasklist",
                                                      {raise = true}
                                                  )
                                              end
                                          end),
                     awful.button({ }, 3, function()
                                              awful.menu.client_list({ theme = { width = 250 } })
                                          end),
                     awful.button({ }, 4, function ()
                                              awful.client.focus.byidx(1)
                                          end),
                     awful.button({ }, 5, function ()
                                              awful.client.focus.byidx(-1)
                                          end))

local function set_wallpaper(s)
    -- Wallpaper
    if beautiful.wallpaper then
        local wallpaper = beautiful.wallpaper
        -- If wallpaper is a function, call it with the screen
        if type(wallpaper) == "function" then
            wallpaper = wallpaper(s)
        end
        gears.wallpaper.set("#400000")
        -- gears.wallpaper.maximized(wallpaper, s, true)
    end
end

-- Re-set wallpaper when a screen's geometry changes (e.g. different resolution)
screen.connect_signal("property::geometry", set_wallpaper)

awful.screen.connect_for_each_screen(function(s)
    -- Wallpaper
    set_wallpaper(s)

    -- Each screen has its own tag table.


    -- Create a promptbox for each screen
    s.mypromptbox = awful.widget.prompt()
    -- Create an imagebox widget which will contain an icon indicating which layout we're using.
    -- We need one layoutbox per screen.
    s.mylayoutbox = awful.widget.layoutbox(s)
    s.mylayoutbox:buttons(gears.table.join(
                           awful.button({ }, 1, function () awful.layout.inc( 1) end),
                           awful.button({ }, 3, function () awful.layout.inc(-1) end),
                           awful.button({ }, 4, function () awful.layout.inc( 1) end),
                           awful.button({ }, 5, function () awful.layout.inc(-1) end)))
    -- Create a taglist widget
    s.mytaglist = awful.widget.taglist {
        screen  = s,
        filter  = awful.widget.taglist.filter.all,
        buttons = taglist_buttons
    }

    -- Create a tasklist widget
    s.mytasklist = awful.widget.tasklist {
        screen  = s,
        filter  = awful.widget.tasklist.filter.currenttags,
        buttons = tasklist_buttons
    }

    -- Create the wibox
    s.mywibox = awful.wibar({ position = "top", screen = s })

    -- Add widgets to the wibox
    s.mywibox:setup {
        layout = wibox.layout.align.horizontal,
        { -- Left widgets
            layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
            mylauncher,
            s.mytaglist,
            s.mypromptbox,
        },
        s.mytasklist, -- Middle widget
        { -- Right widgets
            layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal,
            mykeyboardlayout,
            wibox.widget.systray(),
            mytextclock,
            s.mylayoutbox,
        },
    }
end)
-- }}}

-- tyrannical config : app on specific tag and screen with tyrannical
tyrannical.tags = {
    {
        name        = "dev",                 -- Call the tag "dev"
        init        = true,                   -- Load the tag on startup
        inclusive   = true,
        screen      = {1,2},                  -- Create this tag on screen 1 and screen 2
        layout      = awful.layout.suit.tile, -- Use the tile layout
        instance    = { --Accept the following classes, refuse everything else (because of "exclusive=true")
           "vscodium", "qterminal"}
    } ,
    {
        name        = "tex",                 -- Call the tag "dev"
        init        = true,                   -- Load the tag on startup
        inclusive   = true,
        screen      = {1,2},                  -- Create this tag on screen 1 and screen 2
        layout      = awful.layout.suit.tile, -- Use the tile layout
        instance    = { --Accept the following classes, refuse everything else (because of "exclusive=true")
            "vscodium" , "qterminal"}
    },
}
-- Display in all tags
--tyrannical.properties.sticky = {
--    "xterm", "Okular","qterminal", 
--}

-- tyrannical.settings.block_children_focus_stealing = true --Block popups ()
-- tyrannical.settings.group_children = true --Force popups/dialogs to have the same tags as the parent client


-- {{{ Mouse bindings
root.buttons(gears.table.join(
    awful.button({ }, 3, function () mymainmenu:toggle() end),
    awful.button({ }, 4, awful.tag.viewnext),
    awful.button({ }, 5, awful.tag.viewprev)
))
-- }}}

-- {{{ Key bindings
globalkeys = gears.table.join(
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "s",      hotkeys_popup.show_help,
              {description="show help", group="awesome"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, ",",   awful.tag.viewprev,
              {description = "view previous", group = "tag"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, ";",  awful.tag.viewnext,
              {description = "view next", group = "tag"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "Escape", awful.tag.history.restore,
              {description = "go back", group = "tag"}),

    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "j",
        function ()
            awful.client.focus.byidx( 1)
        end,
        {description = "focus next by index", group = "client"}
    ),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "k",
        function ()
            awful.client.focus.byidx(-1)
        end,
        {description = "focus previous by index", group = "client"}
    ),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "w", function () mymainmenu:show() end,
              {description = "show main menu", group = "awesome"}),

    -- Layout manipulation
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "j", function () awful.client.swap.byidx(  1)    end,
              {description = "swap with next client by index", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "k", function () awful.client.swap.byidx( -1)    end,
              {description = "swap with previous client by index", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "j", function () awful.screen.focus_relative( 1) end,
              {description = "focus the next screen", group = "screen"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "k", function () awful.screen.focus_relative(-1) end,
              {description = "focus the previous screen", group = "screen"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "u", awful.client.urgent.jumpto,
              {description = "jump to urgent client", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "Tab",
        function ()
            awful.client.focus.history.previous()
            if client.focus then
                client.focus:raise()
            end
        end,
        {description = "go back", group = "client"}),

    -- Standard program
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "Return", function () awful.spawn(terminal) end,
              {description = "open a terminal", group = "launcher"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "r", awesome.restart,
              {description = "reload awesome", group = "awesome"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "q", awesome.quit,
              {description = "quit awesome", group = "awesome"}),

    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "l",     function () awful.tag.incmwfact( 0.05)          end,
              {description = "increase master width factor", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "h",     function () awful.tag.incmwfact(-0.05)          end,
              {description = "decrease master width factor", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "h",     function () awful.tag.incnmaster( 1, nil, true) end,
              {description = "increase the number of master clients", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "l",     function () awful.tag.incnmaster(-1, nil, true) end,
              {description = "decrease the number of master clients", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "h",     function () awful.tag.incncol( 1, nil, true)    end,
              {description = "increase the number of columns", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "l",     function () awful.tag.incncol(-1, nil, true)    end,
              {description = "decrease the number of columns", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "space", function () awful.layout.inc( 1)                end,
              {description = "select next", group = "layout"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "space", function () awful.layout.inc(-1)                end,
              {description = "select previous", group = "layout"}),

    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "n",
              function ()
                  local c = awful.client.restore()
                  -- Focus restored client
                  if c then
                    c:emit_signal(
                        "request::activate", "key.unminimize", {raise = true}
                    )
                  end
              end,
              {description = "restore minimized", group = "client"}),

    -- Dmenu
    awful.key({ modkey },            "r",     function () 
              awful.util.spawn("dmenu_run") end,
              {description = "run dmenu", group = "launcher"}),
              
    -- Firefox
    awful.key({ modkey },            "b",     function () 
              awful.util.spawn("firefox") end,
              {description = "firefox", group = "applications"}),

    awful.key({ modkey }, "x",
              function ()
                  awful.prompt.run {
                    prompt       = "Run Lua code: ",
                    textbox      = awful.screen.focused().mypromptbox.widget,
                    exe_callback = awful.util.eval,
                    history_path = awful.util.get_cache_dir() .. "/history_eval"
                  }
              end,
              {description = "lua execute prompt", group = "awesome"}),
    -- Menubar
    awful.key({ modkey }, "p", function() menubar.show() end,
              {description = "show the menubar", group = "launcher"})
)

clientkeys = gears.table.join(
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "f",
        function (c)
            c.fullscreen = not c.fullscreen
            c:raise()
        end,
        {description = "toggle fullscreen", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,  }, "q",      function (c) c:kill()                         end,
              {description = "close", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "space",  awful.client.floating.toggle                     ,
              {description = "toggle floating", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "Return", function (c) c:swap(awful.client.getmaster()) end,
              {description = "move to master", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "o",      function (c) c:move_to_screen()               end,
              {description = "move to screen", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "t",      function (c) c.ontop = not c.ontop            end,
              {description = "toggle keep on top", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "n",
        function (c)
            -- The client currently has the input focus, so it cannot be
            -- minimized, since minimized clients can't have the focus.
            c.minimized = true
        end ,
        {description = "minimize", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey,           }, "m",
        function (c)
            c.maximized = not c.maximized
            c:raise()
        end ,
        {description = "(un)maximize", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "m",
        function (c)
            c.maximized_vertical = not c.maximized_vertical
            c:raise()
        end ,
        {description = "(un)maximize vertically", group = "client"}),
    awful.key({ modkey, "Shift"   }, "m",
        function (c)
            c.maximized_horizontal = not c.maximized_horizontal
            c:raise()
        end ,
        {description = "(un)maximize horizontally", group = "client"})
)

-- Bind all key numbers to tags.
-- Be careful: we use keycodes to make it work on any keyboard layout.
-- This should map on the top row of your keyboard, usually 1 to 9.
for i = 1, 9 do
    globalkeys = gears.table.join(globalkeys,
        -- View tag only.
        awful.key({ modkey }, "#" .. i + 9,
                  function ()
                        local screen = awful.screen.focused()
                        local tag = screen.tags[i]
                        if tag then
                           tag:view_only()
                        end
                  end,
                  {description = "view tag #"..i, group = "tag"}),
        -- Toggle tag display.
        awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "#" .. i + 9,
                  function ()
                      local screen = awful.screen.focused()
                      local tag = screen.tags[i]
                      if tag then
                         awful.tag.viewtoggle(tag)
                      end
                  end,
                  {description = "toggle tag #" .. i, group = "tag"}),
        -- Move client to tag.
        awful.key({ modkey, "Shift" }, "#" .. i + 9,
                  function ()
                      if client.focus then
                          local tag = client.focus.screen.tags[i]
                          if tag then
                              client.focus:move_to_tag(tag)
                          end
                     end
                  end,
                  {description = "move focused client to tag #"..i, group = "tag"}),
        -- Toggle tag on focused client.
        awful.key({ modkey, "Control", "Shift" }, "#" .. i + 9,
                  function ()
                      if client.focus then
                          local tag = client.focus.screen.tags[i]
                          if tag then
                              client.focus:toggle_tag(tag)
                          end
                      end
                  end,
                  {description = "toggle focused client on tag #" .. i, group = "tag"})
    )
end

clientbuttons = gears.table.join(
    awful.button({ }, 1, function (c)
        c:emit_signal("request::activate", "mouse_click", {raise = true})
    end),
    awful.button({ modkey }, 1, function (c)
        c:emit_signal("request::activate", "mouse_click", {raise = true})
        awful.mouse.client.move(c)
    end),
    awful.button({ modkey }, 3, function (c)
        c:emit_signal("request::activate", "mouse_click", {raise = true})
        awful.mouse.client.resize(c)
    end)
)

-- Set keys
root.keys(globalkeys)
-- }}}

-- {{{ Rules
-- Rules to apply to new clients (through the "manage" signal).
awful.rules.rules = {
    -- All clients will match this rule.
    { rule = { },
      properties = { border_width = beautiful.border_width,
                     border_color = beautiful.border_normal,
                     focus = awful.client.focus.filter,
                     raise = true,
                     keys = clientkeys,
                     buttons = clientbuttons,
                     screen = awful.screen.preferred,
                     placement = awful.placement.no_overlap+awful.placement.no_offscreen
     }
    },

    -- Floating clients.
    { rule_any = {
        instance = {
          "DTA",  -- Firefox addon DownThemAll.
          "copyq",  -- Includes session name in class.
          "pinentry",
        },
        class = {
          "Arandr",
          "Blueman-manager",
          "Gpick",
          "Kruler",
          "MessageWin",  -- kalarm.
          "Sxiv",
          "Tor Browser", -- Needs a fixed window size to avoid fingerprinting by screen size.
          "Wpa_gui",
          "veromix",
          "xtightvncviewer"},

        -- Note that the name property shown in xprop might be set slightly after creation of the client
        -- and the name shown there might not match defined rules here.
        name = {
          "Event Tester",  -- xev.
        },
        role = {
          "AlarmWindow",  -- Thunderbird's calendar.
          "ConfigManager",  -- Thunderbird's about:config.
          "pop-up",       -- e.g. Google Chrome's (detached) Developer Tools.
        }
      }, properties = { floating = true }},

    -- Add titlebars to normal clients and dialogs
    { rule_any = {type = { "normal", "dialog" }
      }, properties = { titlebars_enabled = true }
    },

    -- Set Firefox to always map on the tag named "2" on screen 1.
    -- { rule = { class = "Firefox" },
    --   properties = { screen = 1, tag = "2" } },
}
-- }}}

-- {{{ Signals
-- Signal function to execute when a new client appears.
client.connect_signal("manage", function (c)
    -- Set the windows at the slave,
    -- i.e. put it at the end of others instead of setting it master.
    -- if not awesome.startup then awful.client.setslave(c) end

    if awesome.startup
      and not c.size_hints.user_position
      and not c.size_hints.program_position then
        -- Prevent clients from being unreachable after screen count changes.
        awful.placement.no_offscreen(c)
    end
end)

-- Add a titlebar if titlebars_enabled is set to true in the rules.
client.connect_signal("request::titlebars", function(c)
    -- buttons for the titlebar
    local buttons = gears.table.join(
        awful.button({ }, 1, function()
            c:emit_signal("request::activate", "titlebar", {raise = true})
            awful.mouse.client.move(c)
        end),
        awful.button({ }, 3, function()
            c:emit_signal("request::activate", "titlebar", {raise = true})
            awful.mouse.client.resize(c)
        end)
    )

    awful.titlebar(c) : setup {
        { -- Left
            awful.titlebar.widget.iconwidget(c),
            buttons = buttons,
            layout  = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal
        },
        { -- Middle
            { -- Title
                align  = "center",
                widget = awful.titlebar.widget.titlewidget(c)
            },
            buttons = buttons,
            layout  = wibox.layout.flex.horizontal
        },
        { -- Right
            awful.titlebar.widget.floatingbutton (c),
            awful.titlebar.widget.maximizedbutton(c),
            awful.titlebar.widget.stickybutton   (c),
            awful.titlebar.widget.ontopbutton    (c),
            awful.titlebar.widget.closebutton    (c),
            layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal()
        },
        layout = wibox.layout.align.horizontal
    }
end)

-- Enable sloppy focus, so that focus follows mouse.
client.connect_signal("mouse::enter", function(c)
    c:emit_signal("request::activate", "mouse_enter", {raise = false})
end)

client.connect_signal("focus", function(c) c.border_color = beautiful.border_focus end)
client.connect_signal("unfocus", function(c) c.border_color = beautiful.border_normal end)
-- }}}


-- Windows border gaps
beautiful.useless_gap = 5

-- autostart apps
awful.util.spawn("firefox")


-- Collision plugin
require("collision")()
```

</details>