more on setting up your PC to read/type Cyrillic

[Michael Denner]

Dear Colleagues:

I think I've opened Pandora's box...

For Mr. Dumanis inter alia, here goes:

1. It looks like Microsoft has removed the language support files from its
site since I wrote those instructions (the redkij world of the WWW) -- I've
looked everywhere for them, to no avail. Does anyone out there know where to
find these files? If you were savvy enough to know when installing Windows
to install "multi-language support" (I wasn't), then you don't need to worry
about the lang.exe files -- the fonts are already installed.

If you did NOT select this option, then you need to find OEM disks for your
system and install them. If you don't have the disks, you MIGHT have luck
with the font package at SovInformBureau (http://www.siber.com/sib/), a site
I recommend very highly for anyone interested in technology and Russia. You
can download the package at
http://www.siber.com/sib/russify/ms-windows/fonts/. I have never used the
package, so caveat programator. Anyone who tries this package, please post
to the group and let us know the results.

2. About the homophonic keyboard. (I'm referring to the keyboard drivers for
a homophonic keyboard that I gave in my last message:
http://www.as.ua.edu/gnrn/winfonts/Kbdru1.kbd
and the help file: http://www.as.ua.edu/gnrn/winfonts/Readme.txt)

First, I should say that I know that the keyboard works well on 95, 98, and
ME versions of Window -- I've used it on all three. It does NOT, however,
work for NT. You need another keyboard program for NT. Try the one at
SovInformBureau: http://www.siber.com/sib/russify/ms-windows/keyboard/. I
used this keyboard on a computer running NT this summer, and it's a bit
different from the "standard" or AATSEEL homophonic (the w is the v in
Russian, for instance). Still, it worked well.

I think Mr. Powelstock's keyboard is great, but his instructions are maybe
unclear. I will try to restate his instructions a little more clearly and
simply:

i. First, download the file by clicking this link:
http://www.as.ua.edu/gnrn/winfonts/Kbdru1.kbd. Save it somewhere convenient,
like the desktop. You'll have an icon with the Windows logo on it and it
will read Kbdru1.kbd.

ii. Now, rename the existing Cyrillic keyboard, which is
c:\windows\system\kbdru.kbd. (I seem to remember that in 98 or ME this
filename is slightly different, but no matter -- you'll recognize it by the
extension .kbd and by the ru in its main name). You rename the file so that
if you ever want to go back to a Russian typewriter setup, you may. Open up
Windows Explorer, go to c:\windows\system\ and find the file "kbdru.kbd" (or
whatever). Click on it once (or right-click and choose rename), and change
its filename to something new, like kbdru-old.kbd.

iii. Now, go find the file that you've downloaded -- I mean Kbdru1.kbd (on
the desktop) -- and move the file to the c:\windows\system\ folder. You can
do this either by dragging it between two Explorer windows, or copying the
file (ctrl-c) and pasting it (ctrl-v) into the c:\windows\system\folder.  Or
you can use the DOS window. Now, rename Kbdru1.kbd to kbdru.kbd. You have
now replaced the old, Russian typewriter keyboard setup (which is now
kbdru-old.kb) with the new homophonic keyboard. Close all applications and
reboot your machine. After rebooting your standard Russian keyboard will
become a homophonic keyboard.

If this STILL fails, try the platform-appropriate keyboard offered at
SovInformBureau: http://www.siber.com/sib/russify/ms-windows/keyboard/ The
instructions there are good, but you have to use the DOS window.

I hope this clears things up.

mad


<|><|><|><|><|><|><|>
Michael A. Denner
Russian Studies Department
Campus Unit 8361
Stetson University
DeLand, FL 32720
904.822.7265

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