How to type french characters in ubuntu libreoffice?

Could use the char map to copy and paste, it should also give the AltGR code you can use

There are multiple ways of entering special characters:

1. via so called dead keys
On many keyboard layout there are keys like `, ´, ~, ^ and so on. If you press one of the keys and a character afterwards it will create the matching combined character, e.g. ´ + e → é
This will not work if you have selected a keyboard layout with no dead keys. See the keyboard settings for details.

2. via the third and fourth function of the keys.
Most keys have a third and a fourth character, it can be activated in combination with AltGr or Shift + AltGr.
In the keyboard setting is button to show this functions on your keyboard.
If you are using the default US layout your might prefer to switch an international version, since it is very limited in functionality.

3. you can copy them from the character map application

Have you tried MS Word? In Word you simply type ctrl plus the accent you want, then the letter. The result is the accented letter, it's really easy.

So the lack of this appears to be a design failure in LibreOffice (which is still present in Ubuntu 12.04, LibreOffice 3.5.22).

This is no way to fix bug #1 guys. :(

What is the way forward on this?

Just as simple for me to type Alt Gr plus the accent then the letter, but if you really want to change it, then you only have to go to System Settings > Keyboard Layout > Options... button and assign Left or Right Ctrl as your Compose key.

Please note that the Compose key is a system level function - nothing to do with LibreOffice as such.

So no need to go to MS Word.

Ubuntu is the way forward.

Tony, thanks for the follow-up, but sorry, no cigar. I passed your answer on to my wife (on whose behalf I'd submitted my earlier comment). Unknown to me she tried it promptly. Later that day I used her PC and was horrified to find Ubuntu 12.04 severely broken (I thought).

It wasn't broken, it's just that in Firefox I used shortcuts such as ctrl+n, ctrl+k, ctrl+l a lot. Then I discovered that she'd followed your advice, and it's as if the left ctrl key becomes pretty much unusable, it only works for generating accents. :(

By the way, we're in the UK, she's using a UK keyboard layout.

Compare this with what a Microsoft user is used to. Google for 'ms word accents' to see what I mean. First hit for me is http://www.edu.dudley.gov.uk/ict/software/word/accents.htm

Look in particular at the 3rd bullet point and the table following it.

You can see from that the MS Word method works out of the box. No messing around learning how to configure compose keys (on 12.04 UK no key is configured by default as a compose key, which is probably the correct setting, since AltGr has a different purpose, e.g. it turns backtick into vertical bar). And the control key still performs its normal function with other characters.

Hi John

First of all, the chart given at the link is not just a MS Word chart. In Windows as in Ubuntu, these methods should work wherever you are, including in notepad and here on a web page, although the Ubuntu compose key options may not be as comprehensive as they are in Windows.

Secondly, Ubuntu does allow you to configure the compose key in a number of ways, which I have not found in Windows. I consider that a strength, not a weakness. (How about using the Right Ctrl key, for instance).

The other methods given in the link should also work for Ubuntu, but you will need to use Unicode sequences, e.g Shift-Ctrl-u followed by 00e2 and Enter, will give you "â". You can find the Unicode codes with Insert > Special Character.

There are lots of guides to typing special characters in Ubuntu - just Google for something like "special characters ubuntu".

That the best I've got to help you with this.

Tony