I suppose debian-faq and kbd packages needs to be updated. For the original question, in my debian-reference explains as: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch08.en.html#_the_keyboard_input_for_linux_console_and_x_window
--- The Debian system can be configured to work with many international keyboard arrangements using the keyboard-configuration and console-setup packages. # dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration # dpkg-reconfigure console-setup For the Linux console and the X Window system, this updates configuration parameters in "/etc/default/keyboard" and "/etc/default/console-setup". This also configures the Linux console font. Many non-ASCII characters including accented characters used by many European languages can be made available with dead key, AltGr key, and compose key. --- I agree with Justine that things has changed and I think I updated my doc over 10 years ago. Of course, I don't remember the details now. (I will continue this discussion after quoted text.) On Tue, 2021-10-19 at 22:43 +0100, RL wrote: > Justin B Rye <justin.byam....@gmail.com> writes: > > > sebul wrote: > > > https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/customizing.en.html#consolefont > > > says /etc/kbd/config file > > > But, I cannot find /etc/kbd/config on my Debian. > > > How can I solve it? > > > > /etc/kbd/config is deprecated in favour of /etc/default/console-setup > > (see /usr/share/doc/kbd/NEWS.Debian.gz). This seems to imply kbd's > > package description is also cobwebby: > > > > # Description: Linux console font and keytable utilities > > # This package allows you to set up the Linux console, change the font, > > # resize text mode virtual consoles and remap the keyboard. > > # . > > # You will probably want to install a set of data files, such as the one > > # in the “console-data” package. > > > > For a start there's no such package as "console-data" (does it mean > > console-setup-linux?) > > there is https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=console-data > > but i am equally puzzled by what any of these three packages (kbd, > console-data, console-setup) actually do, or which i really need. I find > the desciptions of all unclear. > > The installer leaves you with kbd (which recommends console-setup | > console-data) but i've never known how to find out why. Let's check what are used on Debian. kbd and keyboard-configuration and console-setup are introduced around 2010 and widely used since. * https://qa.debian.org/popcon.php?package=kbd * https://qa.debian.org/popcon.php?package=console-setup console-data and console-common usage are not used for new default installations since 2010. * https://qa.debian.org/popcon.php?package=console-data * https://qa.debian.org/popcon.php?package=console-common Let's use aptitude to see kbd package. --- i A --\ kbd 2.3.0-3 2.3.0-3 Description: Linux console font and keytable utilities This package allows you to set up the Linux console, change the font, resize text mode virtual consoles and remap the keyboard. You will probably want to install a set of data files, such as the one in the “console-data” package. ... --\ Recommends (1) --\ console-setup | console-data p console-data 2:1.12-8 i A console-setup 1.205 --\ Conflicts (1) --- console-utilities --- Package names provided by kbd (1) --- Packages which depend on kbd (14) --\ Versions of kbd (1) i A 2.3.0-3 --- kbd installs console-setup as the primary candidate as recommend and skips to install console-date. But its description still carry situation when initial introduction of kbd package happened. It should now say “console-setup” instead of “console-data” to reduce confusion. I don't know why old console-data and console-common is still in archive. I don't use it any more. But maybe for some special system, they still need to configure as it was done before 2010. If it works, Debian doesn't drop packages. So there are old packages in archives which normal people don't need to use.
