Re: 07/07: services: console-keymap: Deprecate.

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi Mark & Alex,

Alex Kost <address@hidden> skribis:

> Mark H Weaver (2019-04-05 21:45 -0400) wrote:
>
>> Hi Ludovic,
>>
>> address@hidden writes:
>>
>>> civodul pushed a commit to branch master
>>> in repository guix.
>>>
>>> commit 3a665637afc32a142dc24a77ce7ce9235eb6a3af
>>> Author: Ludovic Courtès <address@hidden>
>>> Date:   Wed Apr 3 14:32:41 2019 +0200
>>>
>>>     services: console-keymap: Deprecate.
>>>     
>>>     * gnu/services/base.scm (console-keymap-service): Mark as deprecated.
>>>     * doc/guix.texi (Base Services): Remove its documentation.
>>
>> Why is this being deprecated?
>
> Ouch, this is unpleasant surprise.

For the record I submitted it here:
<https://issues.guix.info/issue/35120>.

>> Is there an alternative service to replace it?
>
> I wonder too!  I see there is a new ‘keyboard-layout’ field, but if I
> understand (gnu system keyboard) correctly, it does not allow me to use
> my own file in "loadkeys" format.

As you found out, this is deprecated in favor of ‘keyboard-layout’,
which has a couple of advantages: it’s uniform (the same config works
for GRUB, Linux, and Xorg), and it’s installed from the initrd, so
already effective when you type in your passphrase (see
<https://issues.guix.info/issue/34929>).

‘keyboard-layout’ definitely works for what you describe, Mark (see the
examples in the manual.)

If you do fancy things with Linux-native keymap files, Alex, it’s
probably not for you.  In that case you do need
‘console-keymap-service’.

However, I was thinking that we probably want to steer users towards the
‘keyboard-layout’ mechanism so they don’t experience the inconsistencies
we had before.  That’s why I deprecated ‘console-keymap-service’.  I’d
argue that keymap experts won’t have difficulties coming up with a
‘console-keymap-service’ if they need it.

WDYT?

Ludo’.