SteamOS connected keyboard ignores settings

[KS-HTK]

Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): 1654818235
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): SteamOS Holo
• SteamOS version: 3.2 (Build: 20220526.100)
• Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
• Have you checked for system updates?: Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

I connected a keyboard/mouse combo to usb c (lenovo keyboard with trackpoint). Everything worked as expected. Keyboard can type mouse is useable, scrolling works. But the issue is that the keyboard is in the english layout. My steamdecks on-screen-keyboard (osk) is set to german, desktop mode is set to german-neo2. And in desktop mode the keyboard uses the neo2 layout, as expected. But in gaming mode any layout set in the settings is ignored for the physikal keyboard. This is only mildly annoying for german as ö ä ü ß dont exist on english layouts. But it sure must be frustrting if your primary language uses, for example, the greek alphabet, as those can only be typed with the osk.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. connect a physikal keyboard to the steamdeck
2. set any layout in the settings
3. observe the osk changing and the physikal keyboard still using english layout

related issue:

• ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#5188
• https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse/discussions/1/1496741765143025641/

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A Workaround has been found:

To set the keyboard layout for gaming mode edit /etc/environment file. Example:

XKB_DEFAULT_MODEL=pc104
XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT=de
XKB_DEFAULT_VARIANT=neo
XKB_DEFAULT_OPTIONS=caps:none

It is sufficient to only set layout

For a list of available values use

• localectl list-x11-keymap-models
• localectl list-x11-keymap-layouts
• localectl list-x11-keymap-variants [layout]
• localectl list-x11-keymap-options