International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

About BasiliskII, a 68k Mac emulator for Windows, MacOSX, and Linux that can run System 7.x through MacOS 8.1.

Moderators: Cat_7, Ronald P. Regensburg

Post Reply
saba
Student Driver
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:55 pm

International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by saba »

Hello!

I am using a Swedish keyboard on Windows 10. A few days ago I did set up a fresh copy of the latest BII build for Windows (date September 2). Installed Mac OS 7.6, both English and Swedish versions on different virtual drives. Used recommended ROM F1A6F343. In virtual machine, I chose Swedish keyboard layout. The issue is that special Swedish letters å, ä and ö are not working in the virtual machine. Also, typing a number of other signs on the keyboard produces some other response in the virtual machine. Other keys work as expected, including the numerincal keys.The table below gives an overview of what I have found up until now:

Keyboard Virtual machine
å no response
ä no response
ö no response
- +
+ ´
' ä
¨ no response
< ,
§ <

The Mac OS Key Caps program (under the Apple menu) helps me seeing what is happening in the virtual machine. Using the "soft" keybord produces the correct signs in Mac OS, but I can hardly use that as long term approach. In an earlier build of BII this was working correctly (however, for the moment I can't tell exactly in which version I first saw this behaviour - it is present also e.g. in 2019-09-29 version). But I see the same behavoiour also in SheepShaver with 9.0.4 English guest (again with Swedish keyboard). In the SheepShaver case, 2013-05-06 verison (again with 9.0.4) works correctly.

Trying to involve the default keycodes file in BII download package doesn't seem to help. Firstly, the default file gives me an error message saying "Cannot find vendor "Windows" in keycode translation file <path>". So BII just seems to skip that step. Then I tried editing the file BasiliskII_keycodes as follows:

...
#
# Windows
#
sdl windows
sdl directx
1 53 # Esc
....

(replacing default "windib" with "windows")

Now BII boots up the guest, but the result for the keyboard is what at a first glance seems like a total random. Taking a bit of closer look, threre are however some patterns; e.g. the numerical line 1-9 on my physical keyboard produces the line of letters asdfghjkl. Anyway, this was not a way forward for me.

Browsing the topic from the other day on Linux SDL/Xwayland inspired me trying the keycodes file included in that topic. Activating that one actually solved also my problem, even the § key now works as expected. But the conclusion seems to be the same for Windows builds as for the other issue reported. Thought it was worth highligting, although my particular issue seems to be resolved. Maybe bundle the bigger keycodes file in the download package?
User avatar
Ronald P. Regensburg
Expert User
Posts: 7821
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:24 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

The keycodes file that is included in the BasiliskII download is obviously the older one, not suited for the SDL2 builds we post here since 2018.

Please also try the keycodes file in this download: https://ronaldpr.home.xs4all.nl/keycode ... t_2021.zip
And read the included ReadMe.

I am also interested in the behaviour with other than English layout when no keycodes file is used, that is when BasiliskII is started after keycodes is set to false in the prefs file.
saba
Student Driver
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:55 pm

Re: International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by saba »

The keycodes file you provided works just fine, thank you, as mentioned I picked it up already from the other thread.

Behaviour on Swedish keyboard under Windows 10 with no keycodes file involved:
"å" results in no response
"ä" results in no response
"ö" results in no response
"-" results in "+"
"+" results in "´"
"'" results in "ä"
"¨" results in no response
"<" results in ","
"§" results in "<"

This behaviour is present in recent versions of BII, as well as in recent versions of SheepShaver. I have not yet verified the "large" keycodes file with SheepShaver, but I have no reason to believe it would not work. In case of any issues there it'll get posted in the SheepShaver forum.
User avatar
Ronald P. Regensburg
Expert User
Posts: 7821
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:24 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Thanks for testing.

In both SheepShaver and BasiliskII for OSX/macOS, with "keycodes false" all keys on an ISO keyboard (and on the similar Brazilian ABNT keyboard) work as expected with the exception of the key left of the "1" key. With an ISO or ABNT keyboard one needs a keycodes file for that one key only. With an ANSI (or similar) keyboard one does not need a keycodes file. All this regardless the language layout.

This is apparently not true for Linux builds. Strange, because the SDL2 scancodes and needed translations to Mac Keycodes are identical. As the builds are from the same source, one would expect the behaviour to be the same.

I do not know yet how this is with Windows builds from kanjitalk755 fork. I will ask someone who uses BasiliskII and/or SheepShaver on Windows.
saba
Student Driver
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:55 pm

Re: International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by saba »

Right now I'm on the officially provided September 02 build. If needed I can do some testing of experimantal builds, just provide me the files.
User avatar
Ronald P. Regensburg
Expert User
Posts: 7821
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:24 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Please try the keycodes file from download I linked to above and again here: https://ronaldpr.home.xs4all.nl/keycode ... t_2021.zip

Again, I am interested in te results both with the keycodes file and without the keycodes file (keycodes false).

See the ReadMe that is included with the keycodes test files about the workaround for the Windows logo key.

You again use an ISO keyboard?

Edit: Disregard this post. See next post
User avatar
Ronald P. Regensburg
Expert User
Posts: 7821
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:24 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: International keyboard layouts on Windows 10

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Sorry, I was confused. You did test with a Windows build. What I need is someone who wants to test this with a Linux build.
Post Reply