Re: Improved console UTF-8 support for the Linux kernel?

[Simos Xenitellis <simos74@gmx.net>]

David Gómez wrote:
> Hi Jan ;),
> 
> > >I am not sure how you wrote the above characters. According to UTF-8,
> > >characters with codepoints above 0x79 require two bytes so that to be
> > >valid. When you compose "ö" (you press something like ";", then "o") in
> > >the console?
> > 
> > ö is a "native key" on my keyboard, i.e. i do not need to play with compose to 
> > generate ö.
> 
> Aaahh ;), you've should said that before. The whole problem with the
> kernel is with the compose tables. If you have a native key for "ö" in
> your keyboard you'll not have problems. I can type for example a 'n
> with tilde' in my keyboard because is too is a native key, but for
> accentuated characters, for utf-8 output is neccesary to apply the patch :-/

And that's the whole issue.

As soon as the kernel is in Unicode  mode for the console, currently
there is no way to input accented characters through a dead key
(composed).
Some years back when 8-bit encodings where used there was no problem,
however now all distros are broken with regards to this.

I do not know what is the next step to consider adding the patch. Do we
get a kernel maintainer related to console I/O speak up and say "Hmm, I
*might* consider a patch, if I see it and people say they are happy"?

simos