Ubuntu Compose Key

Entering diacritics and special characters in Ubuntu using the 'Compose Key'

There is an easy way to quickly enter characters with diacritics and special characters in Ubuntu, but it is not enabled by default. This method uses the 'Compose Key'.

By pressing this key - and I chose the otherwise-redundant AltGr key - then a sequence of characters, the character or symbol you wanted is entered.

To enable the 'Compose Key' go to "System", "Preferences", "Keyboard", "Layouts", "Options", "Compose key position" and choose the key you want to use. Using a key that is already in use will, I am sure, cause no end of confusion. Hence I use the "Right Alt" key which is the AltGr to the right of the spacebar.

To then enter the special character or symbol you want, press your chosen 'Compose Key' then the required sequence of characters.

<AltGr> 1 2 --> ½
<AltGr> O C --> ©
<AltGr> / U --> µ
<AltGr> T M --> ™
<AltGr> , c --> ç
<AltGr> d - --> đ
<AltGr> y " --> ÿ

A full list of the characters you can create, along with the keystrokes required to make them, is here.

Here is many of them:
¡ ¨ ¯ ´ ¸ ¿ ˇ ˘ ˙ ΅ ± « » × ÷ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ § © ® ° µ · € ⅛ ¼ ⅓ ⅜ ½ ⅝ ⅔ ¾ ⅞ ¹ ² ³ ª Á À Â Ä Ă Ã Å Ą Æ Ć Ċ Č Ç Ď Đ Ð É È Ė Ê Ë Ě Ē Ę Ġ Ğ Ģ ı Í Ì İ Î Ï Ī Ĩ Į IJ ĸ Ķ Ĺ Ľ Ļ Ł Ń Ň Ñ Ņ ŋ º Ó Ò Ô Ö Õ Ø Œ Ŕ Ř Ŗ Ś Š Ş ß Ť Þ ™ Ŧ Ú Ù Û Ü ŭ Ū Ũ Ů Ų Ŵ Ý Ŷ Ÿ Ź Ż Ž Ά Έ Ή Ί Ϊ ΐ Ό Ύ Ϋ ΰ Ώ á à â ä ă ã å ą æ ć ċ č ç ď đ ð é è ė ê ë ě ē ę ġ ğ ģ í ì î ï ī ĩ į ij ķ ĺ ľ ļ ł ń ň ñ ņ ó ò ô ö õ ø œ ŕ ř ŗ ś š ş ť þ ŧ ú ù û ü ū ũ ů ų ŵ ý ŷ ÿ ź ż ž ά έ ή ί ϊ ό ύ ϋ ώ