Myanmar Linux Keyboards

Complete keyboard layout package for Myanmar scripts on Linux systems. Supporting all major Myanmar languages with multiple input methods.

🌏 Languages Supported

Language	ISO Code	Script	Status	Keyboards
🇲🇲 Burmese (Myanmar)	my	Myanmar	✅ Complete	Standard, Zawgyi
📜 Mon	mnw	Myanmar	✅ Complete	Standard, A1
🏔️ Shan	shn	Myanmar	✅ Complete	Standard, Zawgyi
🌾 Karen (Sgaw)	ksw	Myanmar	✅ Complete	Kawthoolei
🌾 Karen (Eastern Pwo)	kjp	Myanmar	✅ Complete	Unicode
🌾 Karen (Western Pwo)	pwo	Myanmar	✅ Complete	Kawthoolei
🏔️ Kayah	kyu	Myanmar	🚧 Planned	-

🚀 Quick Installation

Install All Keyboards

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/kokoye2007/myanmar-linux-keyboards.git
cd myanmar-linux-keyboards

# Install all XKB layouts (system-level)
sudo ./installers/install-all-xkb.sh

# Install all ibus-table input methods
sudo ./installers/install-all-ibus.sh

Install Specific Language

# Install only Karen keyboards
sudo ./installers/install-specific.sh karen

# Install only Mon keyboards  
sudo ./installers/install-specific.sh mon

# Install only Shan keyboards
sudo ./installers/install-specific.sh shan

Interactive TUI Installer

For a guided installation experience, use our Text-based User Interface installer:

# Run the interactive TUI installer
sudo ./installers/tui-installer.sh

The TUI installer provides an easy-to-use menu system that allows you to:

• Choose between XKB layouts, IBus tables, or both
• Select specific languages to install
• Get real-time feedback during installation

⌨️ Input Methods Available

XKB Layouts (System-level)

• Integrates with desktop environment
• Works across all applications
• Standard Linux keyboard layout system
• Usage: setxkbmap mm <variant>

ibus-table (Input Method)

• Direct character mapping
• No candidate selection needed
• Windows KLC compatible behavior
• Usage: Add via Settings → Input Sources

KeyMagic (Advanced)

• Automatic ligature generation
• Smart character corrections
• Context-aware input
• Usage: Install KeyMagic + load .kms files

🎯 Character Access Examples

Common Patterns (All Languages)

Numbers: 1-9,0 → ၁-၉,၀ (Myanmar digits)
Basic:   q,w,e,r,t → ဆ,တ,န,မ,အ (consonants)
Vowels:  d,g,k,l → ိ,ါ,ု,ူ (vowel signs)
Marks:   f,h,j → ်,့,ြ (diacritics)

Language-Specific Characters

Karen (Eastern Pwo):

P → စ, Shift+P → ၮ (nna)
[ → ဟ, Shift+[ → ၯ (ywa)  
] → ☆, Shift+] → ၰ (ghwa)

Karen (Western Pwo):

R → မ, Shift+R → ၩ (tone-1)
T → အ, Shift+T → ၪ (tone-2)
A → ၦ (pwa), Shift+A → ၡ (sha)

Karen (Sgaw):

Q → ဆ, Shift+Q → ၡ (sha)
E → န, Shift+E → ၢ (eu)
R → မ, Shift+R → ၤ (kepho)

Mon:

I → ၚ (mon nga)
B → ၜ (mon bba)

Shan:

U → ၥ (shan tone)
Specific Shan characters and tone marks

📱 Desktop Integration

GNOME

1. Settings → Region & Language → Input Sources
2. Click "+" → Other → Select Myanmar script
3. Choose your language variant
4. Switch: Super + Space

KDE Plasma

1. System Settings → Input Devices → Keyboard → Layouts
2. Add → Myanmar → Select variant
3. Switch: Alt + Shift

XFCE

1. Settings → Keyboard → Layout
2. Add → Myanmar → Select variant
3. Configure switching hotkey

🛠️ Development

Building from Source

# Generate XKB layouts
cd scripts/
./build-xkb.sh

# Generate ibus-table files
./build-ibus.sh

# Test layouts
./test-layouts.sh

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch: git checkout -b feature/new-language
3. Commit changes: git commit -am 'Add new language support'
4. Push branch: git push origin feature/new-language
5. Submit Pull Request

Adding New Languages

1. Create language directory in scripts/
2. Add XKB symbols file
3. Create ibus-table definition
4. Add KeyMagic script (optional)
5. Update installers and documentation

📋 System Requirements

Supported Distributions

• Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+
• Fedora 35+ / CentOS 8+
• Arch Linux / Manjaro
• openSUSE Leap 15.3+

Required Packages

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install xkb-data ibus-table

# Fedora
sudo dnf install xkeyboard-config ibus-table

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S xkeyboard-config ibus-table

Recommended Fonts

# Install Myanmar Unicode fonts
sudo apt install fonts-noto-myanmar fonts-myanmar  # Ubuntu
sudo dnf install google-noto-sans-myanmar-fonts    # Fedora
sudo pacman -S noto-fonts                          # Arch

🐛 Troubleshooting

XKB Issues

# Check current layout
setxkbmap -query

# Reset to US layout
setxkbmap us

# Clear XKB cache
sudo rm -f /var/lib/xkb/*.xkm

# Restart display manager
sudo systemctl restart gdm  # or sddm/lightdm

ibus Issues

# Restart ibus
ibus restart

# Check available engines
ibus list-engine | grep myanmar

# Debug mode
ibus-daemon -drx

Character Display Problems

1. Install Myanmar Unicode fonts
2. Check system language support
3. Verify font fallback configuration
4. Test with different applications

📚 Documentation

• Installation Guide - Detailed setup instructions
• Character Maps - Complete character reference
• User Guide - How to use each input method
• Developer Guide - Contributing and building
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

🤝 Community

Communication

• Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
• Discussions: General questions and ideas
• Wiki: Community documentation
• Releases: Stable versions and changelogs

Contributors

• Language experts and native speakers
• Linux distribution maintainers
• Unicode and typography specialists
• Community translators

Acknowledgments

• Myanmar Unicode Initiative - Standardization efforts
• KNU (Karen National Union) - Karen layout specifications
• Mon Language Project - Mon script expertise
• Shan Digital Heritage - Shan keyboard layouts
• Linux Internationalization Community - Technical foundation

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Font Licenses

Recommended fonts have their own licenses:

• Noto Sans Myanmar: SIL Open Font License
• Myanmar3: Custom license
• Padauk: SIL Open Font License

🌟 Star History

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Made with ❤️ for the Myanmar digital community

Supporting linguistic diversity and digital inclusion across all Myanmar languages.