Comment 10 for bug 297428

Forwarding this bug from a Ubuntu reporter:
https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xkeyboard-config/+bug/297428

[Problem]
It used to be that /etc/X11/xkb/base.xml was used as a config file for keyboard layouts. However, now this file is ignored and there is no way to do this configuration. Further, the documentation in xkb-data/README.Debian is outdated and describes the old method.

[Original Report]
In Hardy /etc/X11/xkb/base.xml used to be the configuration file for keyboard layouts shown in gnome-keyboard-properties. This has changed in Intrepid, but /usr/share/doc/xkb-data/README.Debian (in the section "Customised layouts") still recommends to change this file for customised layouts. (xkb-data 1.3-2ubuntu4)

Gnome now completely ignores it (you can rename the file without consequences), instead it uses /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml. It took me some time to find out, so I'd like the information in the readme updated. My other guess is that the information is correct, but evdev.xml should be a symlink to base.xml, since its pretty much the same (and /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.lst should point to /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst).

I examined the differences in custom layouts between hardy and intrepid once more and in my opinion there's a regression because intrepid has no real configuration file anymore (evdev.xml is the configuration file, but it will be overwritten with every update).

My test case: I forced an old version of xkb-data both in hardy an intrepid and then installed my custom layout with the symbols file in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols and a modified /etc/X11/xkb/base.xml in hardy and a modified /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml in intrepid. The custom layout worked fine, then I did the update of xkb-data.
1. In hardy everything's fine. The configuration file base.xml is not changed.
2. In intrepid the update overwrites evdev.xml without notification or asking anything. Surprisingly at first glance nothing has changed, because Gnome now uses the symbols file that's stored in gconf-editor under desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd/layouts and that is still my custom symbols file. In gnome-keyboard-properties the layout is now indicated with its file name, not with the description as before. If I remove it and want to add it again, it's lost. (Not tested: KDE, distribution upgrade)

My conclusion: The actual behavior (overwriting evdev.xml) is not good.
Secondly, the Readme is wrong as it names the wrong configuration file, and that the new file is not really a configuration file because it will be overwritten in the update process.