2nd keyboard layout keeps disappearing

Desktop Environments Lxqt
1

Haven’t determined the specific trigger, but after some pacman updates, my Lxqt desktop loses its second keyboard layout (it just vanishes) along with the key combo to change the layout. Any ideas? suggestions?

2

@TRex ,
Once you put the relating widget into taskbar you can easily control the 2nd keyboard
layout as well. Otherwise type keyboard after pressing main menu,

lxqt-kbs
lxqt-kbs1312×752 180 KB

Start with right click to taskbar.

3

Already have the widget installed — and using the Configure “Keyboard Status Indicator” >> Configure layouts to re-install the disappearing keyboard each time it disappears. I can click on the widget to change the keyboard layout IF that layout hasn’t disappeared.

Lxqt is being used on this ancient laptop because it is lightweight, not because I think it is a good DE. I’ve never experienced disappearing keyboard layouts on other DEs.

4

It was a bug more than 10 years ago. When user attached an usb keyboard the keyboard layouts disappear.
But I can’t reproduce the error.
Try to downgrade and reinstall lxqt-session.
@TRex
Edit:
Should you have 2 layouts create a script and call it by a shortcut (Ctrl/T)

#!/bin/sh
TOGGLE="$HOME/.toggle"
if [ ! -e $TOGGLE ]; then
    setxkbmap hu
    touch $TOGGLE 
else
    setxkbmap pl -variant qwertz 
    rm $TOGGLE
fi

Edit: Downgrade of lxqt-session is not a good idea. Caused crash of lxqt-panel.

5

Interesting, but I’ve not plugged in an external keyboard since I installed EOS.

The disappearing keyboard has been happening for months, so I have no idea how far to downgrade. If I have to reinstall, I’ll use a different DE since I no longer trust Lxqt.

6

How about using timeshift or any other backup?
Mabox is an openbox and runs smoothly on old laptops.
It will be migrated from Manjaro to Cachy in the future.
Or BunsenLabs …
@TRex
If you have time/patience to test Lxqt:

sudo pacman -S gxkb
gxkb &

edit .config/gxkb/gxkb.cfg
and Add gxkb & to Autostart