How to type ü in Linux?

General Linux Question
1

I needed to type u-umlaut in some text.
I googled and found

  • Edit the file /etc/default/console and add the line XKBOPTIONS=“compose:ralt”. That sets right-alt key to be a "compose" key. The you type AltGr " u` . … that fails … I guess it is for consoles, not for Xterminals. AltGr means right-alt

  • Next I found … Use the command setxkbmap -option compose:ralt to set the compose key to right-alt. Then type AltGr "u . his one works. I suppose I can put the setxkbmap command in my .bashrc.
    You can get the available compose key options with grep "compose:" /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst

Here is my creation

journal = {Zeitschrift für Tierzüchting und Züchtungsbiologie},

that is a line out of a Bibtex (.bib) file.
Bibtex is used for keeping a bibliography of reference.

Does anyone do this? Are there better ways?

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2

I do it the most simple way: just press the “ü” key :smiley:
I see this is not obvious on an english keyboard. Probably knowing the utf code and typing it could help. I mean, I remember entering some special char by pressing Alt+typing the code.
Release Alt, and char is entered …
I did this long time ago, so I’m not sure it still works. Does it?

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3

Yes it works provided you define Alt as a compose-key… at least in Xfce.
It is not defined by default in MX.

I finally found a reasonable guide to XKB

https://medium.com/@damko/a-simple-humble-but-comprehensive-guide-to-xkb-for-linux-6f1ad5e13450

There is a lot involved

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4

The umlaut might be somewhat more involved to actually get, instead of the diaeresis.

" ← umlaut
¨ ← diaeresis

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The meaning is different

“A diaeresis is a diacritical mark that appears as two dots placed above a vowel to indicate it’s pronounced in a separate syllable.”

eg Brontë is pronounced bronty not bront

whereas an umlaut changes the pronunciation of a single letter (a,o,u)

eg fűr is a long u (fewer), und is a short u (oond)

excuse my amateur efforts

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6

Are you using a wordprocessing software tool, such as libre office

If so insert symbol does it

Or

Show the vertual keyboard from the control panel and select by holding on that key normal and you get the options

Or

Compose using ascii table alt plus Dont know the number

Finally suggestion
Install a german language on your linux, flick to that then copy it and flick back to english

Once you have it copy paste into something else.

Easy

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7

No I am using vi… same as text in a terminal

That works on a tablet.
On the PC keyboard holding down the key repeats.

That is what I am doing.

You mean an alternate German keyboard?
I would do that if I had pages of German to type. I only want occasional.

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8

Linux mint has a vertual keyboard available as a handicap access option …

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9

When I need a special character (ü is easy for me) I always copy+paste it from the original text or search for it and then copy+paste. Learned that trick on 90’s when I needed a special character and copied it to my 3.5" floppy? disk. I always had it on that disk :grin:

10

This was the way when there wasn’t internet :+1:

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11

In Ubuntu (and probably other distro’s) there is a key setting called “Compose Key”. This lets you enter some of the unusual characters. I used the “Caps lock” key as my Compose key. To type a ü I press the sequence
CapsLock u "

Many other special characters can be entered via a Compose key sequence, for example æ å ¥ £ ±

https://math.dartmouth.edu/~sarunas/Linux_Compose_Key_Sequences.html

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Did such a time exist ?
You will be telling me next that there was a time before telephone, television… i just cannot imagine how we spent our day.
:smiley::smile::grin::laughing::sweat_smile::rofl::joy:

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13

It’s called flight mode😁

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14

Great idea. One could keep a file of special characters.

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15

That is what I ended up doing… I set right-alt to be the compose key for Xorg. There may be a gui way of setting it, I used CLI.
I have no idea what happens with compose key in Wayland.?

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16

I usually cheat when I need an accented vowel and look for an example on a web page and copy that to the clipboard…

Doesn’t happen very often… one of my social media identities has umlauts (incorrectly used)… But quite a few metal bands I like have umlauts in their name :

  • Blue Öyster Cult
  • Motörhead
  • Queensrÿche
    (all incorrectly used - i.e. not intented to change pronunciation - the the “ÿ” in Queensrÿche is kinda ridiculous )
    I used to keep my music files in folders named with those umlauted vowels - but it played havoc when trying to copy them elsewhere - e.g. the fat32 SD-Card on my Samsung phone barfs on them (using adb-sync).

(but not that glam hair metal band from California who I shan’t name - nor fake bands like Spın̈al Tap - I think the 1983 Adrian Edmondson / Rik Mayall [The Young Ones] mockumentary “Bad News Tour” is better/funnier than “This Is Spın̈al Tap” anyway)

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17

Hi

This not necessarily an actual solution, but loosely speaking may qualify as an answer…

I use a spreadsheet, LibreOffice Calc

CELL A1 =CHAR(ROW()) =CHAR(ROW()+32)

Drag it down to CELL A256 CELL A223

and across several to many columns,

                        CELL Z256               CELL Z223

Then set each column with a different Font/Typeface.

The +32 blanks out the NON-PRINTING characters.

ü Ü ALT 0252 & ALT 0220 appear for copying and pasting.

You have created an equivalent to a charmap where you can compare what appears
for each particular typeface, especially helpful with Windings etc.

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18

The ü character is available in the character map app in Linux Mint’s Software manager. Just install the app and just about any character imaginable is found there. If you are running a different distro, there is more than likely a character map app available for your distro.

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19

Simplest way is to install a character map app from your distro’s software manager. That’s how I do it in Linux Mint. Just about any character imaginable is found there.

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