Bolnagari keyboard is a phonetic keymap for Linux using XKB model. It is a hack, but works. It was desiged after the authors lost sanity after trying to use the phonetic keymaps available with IIIMF and compose keys and xmodmap. Its inspired by Devrom keymap available from keyman.

Download tarball (29KB) deb package

Installing

Manual install (from tarball)

# tar zxvf bolnagri-0.1.tar.gz
# cd bolnagri-0.1
# cp bolnagri_* /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/pc/
# cp -R doc/bolnagri /usr/share/doc/

Prebuilt packages Deb package

1. dpkg -i bolnagri_0.1_noarch.deb

RPM

1. rpm -ivh bolnagri_0.1-2_noarch.rpm

Using

Copy Bolnagri.desktop, English.desktop entries avialable in /usr/share/doc/bolnagri to ur ~/Desktop dir. These are app launchers which will switch layout between bolnagri & english. $ cp /usr/share/doc/bolnagri/*.desktop ~/Desktop

This will get two icons on desktop, same can be dragged onto the panel & activated from there by clicking once. To type using

Or from terminal issue following commands

• setxkbmap -layout 'bolnagri_matras, bolnagri_vowels, us' -option grp:caps_toggle

Use caps to toggle between matra or vowel sign mode & swars or full vowel mode and English mode.

Refer to image below to learn the layout. Most of the keys are phonetically mapped with exception of few characters.

Bolnagri README (also contained in the package )

Use capslock to toggle between Matra mode where you get all the vowel signs or matras and Vowel Mode to get Independent Vowels/Swars.

The 'bolnagri_layout.png' Image provided shows the visual layout. It is in the following format: shifted in normal position, shifted in capslock position normal position(without shift), capslock position(without shift)

1) All consonants appear in both the modes. 2) ZWNJ(q in both modes) is used after consonant+halanth (eg:ka+halanth+ZWNJ) in order to prevent the next consonant from joing this consonant to form a conjunct. 3) The characters are mostly phonetically place, but due to the shortcomings of XKB, certain characters are placed elsewhere. The placements:

                TA & THA in f & F.
                DA & DHA in v & V.

4) To form samyuktakshars, use x in both modes. eg: To get 'pakka', type p+k+x+k+a

Examples: 'ka' - k 'kha' - K 'k' - k+x (pure consonant k, ie., with halanth) ksha - k+x+S tra - t+x+r jna or gya - j+x+Y nukta - shift period in normal mode Devnagari abbreviation sign - shift comma in normal mode bindi - single qoute chandrabindi - tilde Independent vowels:

       a vowel - a in capslock mode
       aa or A vowel - shift a in capslock mode

Suggestions, etc., : ravikant at sarai.net

                    pramodr at gmail.com