Numeric Keypad - switch comma "," to period "." (German keyboard layout)

Question

The German decimal mark standard is a comma (e.g. 1.400,50 one-thousand-fourhundred-euro-and-fifty-cent).

Most apps use the US standard period. Is there a way to quickly switch the comma to a period on the numeric keypad (and back)?

Solution 1

In Ubuntu 18.04 I couldn't find any appropriate option in "standard" settings (neither in Devices -> Keyboard, nor in Region & Language).

The "clickable" solution I found uses gnome-tweak-tool that I had previously installed for other reasons: sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool

To run the tool hit Win button and type Tweaks.

In the app in Keyboard & Mouse tab click Additional Layout Options and open the Numeric keypad Delete behavior section. Multiple of the available options there worked for me (I have selected Four-level key with dot as my default).

The nice thing with this solution is that the change is applied instantly as you select the option (no need to click apply or anything). This might be useful if you need to change temporarily to do something and go back to default - just leave the app open do your thing and click back when you are done.

Solution 2

There is an implemented option for kpdl(dot):

setxkbmap de -option kpdl:dot

for permanent changes add the option to /etc/default/keyboard

# KEYBOARD CONFIGURATION FILE

XKBMODEL="pc105"
XKBLAYOUT="de"
XKBVARIANT=""
XKBOPTIONS="kpdl:dot"

BACKSPACE="guess"

This way it will be independent from your xkb-data and safe on dist upgrade.

Comments

[derHugo]

Please don't post links as answer. Reproduce the procedure here in your answer. If the URL dies your answer would be useless.

[Videonauth]

Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! A link to a potential solution is always welcome, but please add context around the link so your fellow users will have some idea what it is and why it's there. Always quote the most relevant part of an important link, in case the target site is unreachable or goes permanently offline. Take into account that being barely more than a link to an external site is a possible reason as to Why and how are some answers deleted?.

[Leif Arne Storset]

I'm wondering what "Four-level key" refers to, but it may be because AltGr+NumDel gives you the dot again, while Shift+AltGr+NumDel gives you a narrow no-break space (u+202f). Rad!

[gerlos]

That's exactly the point: this settings makes the Numeric Keypad Delete a "Four-level key", so you can use level modifiers keys (Shift and Alt-Gr) to switch between 4 possible options, as described in help.ubuntu.com/community/… . This means you can set it to use Alt-Gr to insert a period or a comma.

[felipsmartins]

worked for me. thx

[Klesun]

For confused potatoes like me, the "Delete" key is the same key where "." is.

[jarzec]

@Klesun It's the key where the . or , is on the numeric keypad, the one marked with the orange square by OP in the image. On my physical keyboard it is marked with . and Del. In the OP's German layout image it is marked with , and Del.