I have a customized version of Dvorak keyboard layout. It is a light modification of Arjen Van Kol’s Dvorak International Extended. The main customizations are the addition of Indian Rupee symbol ₹ for AltGr+Shift+3 and the swapping of Capslock and left ctrl. Here’s how it should be installed.

Linux

  • The keyboard layout is present as file dvk which should be copied to the specific location below
    • cp -v dvk /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/
  • To get the custom keyboard layout to show up in the GUI Keyboard Layout configuration tool, copy the customized versions of the evdev.lst and evdev.xml and base.lst and base.xml to the specific location below
    • cp -va *.lst *.xml /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/
  • Simplest to restart the computer and open the GUI keyboard configuration tools
    • Dvorak Intl Extended keyboard layout will then be visible somewhere in the GUI tool perhaps after first selecting English(US) or English(UK)

Mac OS

I used an app named Ukelele to create a .keylayout file. On every new Mac OS, this software needs to be installed. Then I import my custom .keylayout file and install it as a Mac keyboard layout. The swapping of Cmd/Capslock (Note, in Mac, we are not swapping Ctrl/Capslock) happens through the Mac OS keyboard settings.

Copy the DvorakInternationalExtended.keylayout file (which was created with Ukelele) to /Library/Keyboard\ Layouts. Reboot. Then you’ll find this layout in Keyboard settings, typically under ‘others’. Use MacOS Keyboard settings to swap Capslock with Cmd and vice versa.

Windows

I created a custom layout using the kbdedit software http://www.kbdedit.com/ . I purchased the Premium version 22.6.0. The .MSI installer has been saved for future use.

Initially imported the .klc file from kbdvo-ie.zip (which is Arjen Van Kol’s version). Then swapped CapsLock and LeftCtrl and added the Rupee Symbol to AltGr+Shift+3.

Saved this as a .kbe file (which can be imported by kbdedit). Also have attempted to create a standalone installer for this layout as Sagar-Dvorak-International.exe. This should enable installation on any other windows computer without needing kbdedit installed. Note that on new computers with slightly differet keyboards e.g. the availability of an AltGr key etc. the prebaked installer version may not work.