Keyb

Keyboard localization BIOS extension for FreeDOS. KEYB can be considered as a keyboard driver which intercepts the keyboard management BIOS routines in order to adapt non-US keyboards to the system, and provides other facilities. (NOTE: KEYB is not a proper device driver, and is not loaded with DEVICE= in CONFIG.SYS; you run it as a program instead). Syntax: KEYB <Layout_file> [/Dx] [/E] [/I] [/9{+|*|-}] KEYB [/U] KEYB [/?] OPTIONS <Layout_File> Layout and codepage specific file, containing the information about the layout. The format of the file admitted depends on the release. Prototype4: specially suited compiled KC files From prototype 5: KL files, containing a single layout From prototype 6: KL files and packs that contain several layouts in a single file, such as MS-DOSİ KEYBOARD.SYS. A path may be included, and the extension may be omitted. KL files (KC files in P4) are searched in current directory, KEYB program directory and %PATH% environment string. /I Force to install the driver over other existing driver. /Dx Sets the decimal character to x /E Specifies that the system has an enhanced keyboard /9 Specifies the interrupt 9h (IRQ1) management mode /9- no management (default on ATs, recommended) /9* chained management (default and mandatory on XTs) /9+ full management /U Unloads a previously loaded instance of KEYB (if possible) /? Shows the fast help You can program FreeDOS so that keyboard is configured at boot time by means of AUTOEXEC.BAT. Append the command line into your AUTOEXEC.BAT to do this. You can create your own customized layout files by using extra tools. Prototype 4 comes with the compiling tool and documentation to create the KC files. From Prototype 5, an external compiling tool is provided and from prototype 6 a packing tool will also be externally provided to create collections such as KEYBOARD.SYS. Documentation about the compiler and packer is under preparation.
Country Layout(s) Codepages
Belgium be 850, 858 be-cp437 437 Bosnia-Herzegovina ba 852 ba-cp850 850, 858 Brazil br, br274 850, 858 br-cp437, br274437 437 Canada cf 850, 858 cf-cp863 863 Croatia hr 852 hr-cp850 850, 858 Czech Republic (Qwertz) cz 852 cz-cp850 850, 858 Denmark dk 850, 858 dk-cp865 865 Finland su 850, 858 su-cp437 437 France fr, fr120 850, 858 fr-cp437, fr120437 437 Germany (1) gr 850, 858 gr-cp437 437 Hungary hu208 852 hu208850 850, 858 Italy it, it142 850, 858 it-cp437, it142437 437 Latin America (2) la 850, 858 la-cp437 437 Netherlands nl 850, 858 nl-cp437 437 Norway no 850, 858 no-cp865 865 Poland pl214 852 pl214850 850, 858 Portugal po 850, 858 po-cp860 860 Slovakia (Qwertz) sk 852 sk-cp850 850, 858 Slovenia si 852 si-cp850 850, 858 Spain sp 850, 858 sp-cp437 437 Sweden sv 850, 858 sv-cp437 437 Switzerland (French) sf 850, 858 sf-cp437 437 Switzerland (German) sg 850, 858 sg-cp437 437 UK uk, uk168 850, 858 uk-cp437, uk168437 437 US (3) us 437, 858
(1) The GR layout is also used by Austria, according to MS-DOSİ COUNTRY.TXT file. (2) The following countries are listed on MS-DOSİ COUNTRY.TXT file and also use the LA layout: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela. (3) The following countries are listed on MS-DOSİ COUNTRY.TXT file and also use the US layout: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Example: To use a German keyboard when your KEYBOARD.SYS file is in the DOS directory on drive C, type the following command: keyb gr Note: Due to limitations on codepage 437, there are certain combinations on several keyboards that won't be echoed, such as accented letters. It is advisable to use cp437 only when not possible to use cp850 or cp858, e.g. when using CGA monitors. It has only been provided support for codepage 437 for keyboards which are allowed to use it on MS-DOSİ. Copyright: KEYB2.0 is distributed under the GNU-GPL 2.0 license or later. KEYB2.0 is copyright by Aitor Santamaria Merino. KEYB layout packs are developed by Henrique Peron. KEYB documentation by Aitor Santamaria Merino and Henrique Peron. See Also: Display


This file copyright İ 2003 Aitor SANTAMARIA MERINO Henrique PERON This file is part of FreeDOS HTML Help, and is covered under its terms, see index.htm