Arch + Hyprland + Kitty: How to make Compose key work?

[err0x1a]

I'm trying to enable the Compose Key in Kitty, but so far without success. I noticed that in applications like Spotify and Brave, the compose key works. However, when I try it in Kitty, it doesn't work. Is some extra configuration needed?

I've configured kb_options = compose:ralt in Hyprland, however, when I press <Alt + '>a in the terminal, I get 'a.
In the apps I mentioned, I get á.

Any ideas on what might be the issue are welcome; I no longer know what else to try.
I'm running Arch on a Macbook Pro Mid 2012.

Check out the wev (xev for Wayland) log:

[08:         wl_seat] name: seat0
[08:         wl_seat] capabilities: pointer keyboard 
[10:    xdg_toplevel] configure: width: 0; height: 0
[09:     xdg_surface] configure: serial: 786
[14:     wl_keyboard] keymap: format: 1 (xkb v1), size: 68927
[14:     wl_keyboard] repeat_info: rate: 25 keys/sec; delay: 600 ms
[14:     wl_keyboard] enter: serial: 790; surface: 3
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 0; group: 0
                      depressed: 00000000
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000000
[11:  wl_data_device] data_offer: id: 4278190080
[4278190080:   wl_data_offer] offer: mime_type: application/glfw+clipboard-3471
[4278190080:   wl_data_offer] offer: mime_type: TEXT
[4278190080:   wl_data_offer] offer: mime_type: STRING
[4278190080:   wl_data_offer] offer: mime_type: UTF8_STRING
[4278190080:   wl_data_offer] offer: mime_type: text/plain;charset=utf-8
[4278190080:   wl_data_offer] offer: mime_type: text/plain
[11:  wl_data_device] selection: id: 4278190080
[10:    xdg_toplevel] configure: width: 943; height: 1058
                      activated tiled-left tiled-right tiled-top tiled-bottom 
[09:     xdg_surface] configure: serial: 787
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 792; time: 971722; key: 36; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: Return       (65293), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 793; time: 974138; key: 108; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: Multi_key    (65312), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 794; time: 974330; key: 48; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: apostrophe   (39), utf8: '''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 795; time: 974474; key: 48; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: apostrophe   (39), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 796; time: 974514; key: 108; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: Multi_key    (65312), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 797; time: 974722; key: 38; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: a            (97), utf8: 'a'
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 798; time: 974794; key: 38; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: a            (97), utf8: ''

[poseidon-rises]

Did you ever find a solution for this?

[wosym]

Problem popped up here recently as well. Compose key works fine in Firefox, xterm and other applications. But not in Kitty, nor in Vim running in Kitty.

[kovidgoyal]

kitty uses libxkbcomomn so this will work automatically, provided you configured your compositor correctly and you are using X11 or Wayland in kitty to match the actual environment you are running it in. And you dont have a ~/.XCompose that overrides things. And you either dont use an IME or your IME is configured correctly. For example on Hyprland,
with kb_layout = us and kb_options = compose:ralt then run kitty as kitty --config=NONE and you can tap right alt then tap o and c to get a copyright symbol.

Sadly input on Linux is an absolute mess, there are a million different knobs you can turn to break things. With a correctly configured environment when typing the copyright symbol as I described above, run kitty with --debug-input and you will get something like

[4.765] Release xkb_keycode: 0x64 clean_sym: Multi_key mods: none glfw_key: 0 (UNKNOWN) xkb_key: 65312 (Multi_key) alternate_key: 57449 (RIGHT_ALT)
[8.338] Press xkb_keycode: 0x18 clean_sym: o compose not complete, ignoring.
[8.426] Release xkb_keycode: 0x18 clean_sym: o mods: none glfw_key: 111 (o) xkb_key: 111 (o)
[9.082] Press xkb_keycode: 0x2e clean_sym: c composed_sym: copyright composed_text: © mods: none glfw_key: 169 (©) xkb_key: 169 (copyright) shifted_key: 99 (c�) alternate_key: 99 (c�)
[9.082] on_key_input: glfw key: 0xa9 native_code: 0xa9 action: PRESS mods: none text: '©' state: 0 sent key as text to child (window_id: 1): ©

If you get something different then your environment is broken somewhere.

[wosym]

input {
#    touchpad {
#        natural_scroll=$NATURALSCROLL
#    }
    kb_layout=us
    kb_variant=
    kb_model=
    kb_options=compose:ralt
    numlock_by_default = true
}

When running kitty --config=NONE --debug-keyboard :

[31.940] Press xkb_keycode: 0x64 clean_sym: Multi_key compose not complete, ignoring.
[32.540] Press xkb_keycode: 0x64 clean_sym: Multi_key compose not complete, ignoring.
[32.566] Press xkb_keycode: 0x18 clean_sym: o composed_sym: o active_unknown_mods: NumLock text: o mods: numlock glfw_key: 111 (o) xkb_key: 111 (o)
[32.566] on_key_input: glfw key: 0x6f native_code: 0x6f action: PRESS mods: numlock text: 'o' state: 0 sent key as text to child (window_id: 1): o
[32.644] Release xkb_keycode: 0x18 clean_sym: o mods: numlock glfw_key: 111 (o) xkb_key: 111 (o)
[32.644] on_key_input: glfw key: 0x6f native_code: 0x6f action: RELEASE mods: numlock text: '' state: 0 [32.644] 
text-input: updating cursor position: left=54 top=26 width=9 height=18
ignoring as keyboard mode does not support encoding this event
[32.674] Release xkb_keycode: 0x64 clean_sym: Multi_key mods: numlock glfw_key: 0 (UNKNOWN) xkb_key: 65312 (Multi_key) alternate_key: 57449 (RIGHT_ALT)
[32.961] Press xkb_keycode: 0x2e clean_sym: c composed_sym: c active_unknown_mods: NumLock text: c mods: numlock glfw_key: 99 (c) xkb_key: 99 (c)
[32.961] on_key_input: glfw key: 0x63 native_code: 0x63 action: PRESS mods: numlock text: 'c' state: 0 sent key as text to child (window_id: 1): c
[33.026] Release xkb_keycode: 0x2e clean_sym: c mods: numlock glfw_key: 99 (c) xkb_key: 99 (c)
[33.026] on_key_input: glfw key: 0x63 native_code: 0x63 action: RELEASE mods: numlock text: '' state: 0 [33.026] 
text-input: updating cursor position: left=63 top=26 width=9 height=18
ignoring as keyboard mode does not support encoding this event

My configs didn't really change recently, but I am using Hyprland indeed, which regularly pushes breaking changes. Maybe an update of them broke something in my environment. I'll try to do another update soon and see if the issue resolves itself by itself.