There are several alternative keyboards replacing default virtual keyboard of Maemo 5: to enable portrait mode, handwriting recognition, T9 input, or something else. However, after installing one of them, in order to enable it as the virtual keyboard used by the system, user had to type gconf command in X-Terminal; it's not exactly user-friendly, it doesn't show which keyboards you already have installed, it allows possibility of misprint, et cetera.
This simple Hildon Control Panel applet adds an entry ('Select Virtual Keyboard') to Settings window. It shows, in a dialogue, selector with list of files any of which could be used as a virtual keyboard. When the selection is changed, a banner (yellow strip) shows information about the currently selected file: name and description of the package to which it belongs. If the dialogue is dismissed, virtual keyboard is not changed. If the ”OK” button is pressed, virtual keyboard is set in accordance with the selection.
The package was uploaded to Extras-Devel with gracious assistance of Maemo Extras Assistant. It can be installed by ”apt-get install virtransim”, for instance, since the name of the package is ”virtransim”. The icon has been recently created. The most recent version is 0.1.3. The last version tested on the device is 0.1.1. Considering that the N900 it was created on is not working now (hardware problem), beta-testers and any feedback would be welcome. Does the latest version work at all? What icon does it show in the Application Manager? Does it have its icon visible in the Settings window?
[EDIT]
Version 0.1.3 has just been tested. A screenshot of the Settings window is attached, with the icon visible.
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