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I have been looking through the documentation for enabling the Compose key in Ubuntu, but the information from the Ubuntu Community page states that under Tweaks, that I should

"Click Disabled next to the Compose Key setting."

However, that button does not exist. There is no Compose Key setting in the version given by Ubuntu Jammy. I have done

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

However, it does not have the Compose Key setting under Keyboard and Mouse. I also looked at Additional Layout Options, but I cannot find the relevant information.

Additional Layout Options

Any ideas on how to enable the compose key? Thanks

nadim-gwynedd
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4 Answers4

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The compose key control was dropped from Tweaks since it has been added to Settings -> Keyboard.

The wiki page you mention apparently needs to be updated.

Gunnar Hjalmarsson
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I just thought I'd answer late too as have just spent more time than needed working this out from conflicting posts and wikis while trying to add macrons in Te Reo (Māori). Various descriptions of keys, Tweaks and/or Setting values only seemed to describe my ecology, so, after much trial and error, I think that desktop or laptop (no Menu or Right Super keys) if you're on Ubuntu 20.4.4 with a US Keyboard:
Simply go to

Settings ⇒ Keyboard/Special Character ⇒ Entry/Compose Key

Toggle off Layout Default

Select something under-utilized like Right Ctrl or Right Alt - someone mentioned Right Alt being used for 3rd or 4th level keys, but none of their examples worked for me.

Should look like:

Should look like

zx485
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johnsopaul
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In 22.04 you'll find the setting here:

Settings -> Keyboard -> Options -> Position of Compose Key

Choosing the compose key is just a matter of checking one or more boxes.

My system was upgraded from 20.04 to 22.04 using apt dist-upgrade, so still had the Compose Key set to Right Alt, but this wasn't working (typing right Alt would just activate the menus in whatever window had the focus). Clearing the checkbox and then resetting it again fixed that problem.

Note: Checking or unchecking one of these settings locked up parts of my window manager for about 5 seconds per modified checkbox, and when I clicked ahead a few settings, my entire window manager froze for a bit. Be patient.

PS: Sorry I'm late to the party, but I'm posting for posterity. I might not be the only person who struggled for ages to find the Compose Key setting amid the blizzard of options in Settings -> Keyboard.

ixanian
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The accepted answer is correct in that the main key setting has been moved to the main panel : however

The behaviour I'm used to here is not available from this panel.

I'm used to right-alt selecting the third level, allow you to type symbols like the Euro glyph : € or ralt-4 (UK layout)

And shift-right-alt being "compose" e.g.

shift+ralt e ' == é

The settings for this are

  • Leave the compose key at "layout default" in the main settings
  • Install Gnome Tweaks and in the keyboard dialog, set
    • Additional Layout Options
      • Key to choose the 3rd level
        • Right Alt; Shift+Right Alt as Compose

I got to this by reading the Enable the Compose Key page in the Gnome Help website, and then reading the man:xkeyboard-config page linked there and spotting the option in the "Key to choose the 3rd level" section - having previously seen that as available in Gnome Tweaks.

Adrian
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