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[Help] Maliit keyboard on Steam Deck?

Does anybody know how I can activate Maliit (Plasma's default on-screen keyboard) under SteamOS Desktop Mode? I have the impression that all my typos are because Steam's provided keyboard (STEAM+X) is not registering key presses correctly and I want to try an alternative.

/usr/lib/maliit exists but all the usual guides I found don't work...

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7 comments
  • Interested in alternate keyboards too. I have constant issues with the Valve one not appearing etc. and I think it is pretty annoying to have it tied to the Steam process, maybe that makes more sense for the game mode but...

    Same goes for the trackpad settings and bindings being dependent on Steam. For all the work Valve has done on upstream apps building this stuff just into steam seems like a pretty bad design.

    • Same goes for the trackpad settings and bindings being dependent on Steam.

      Yeah and considering that there is an obvious race condition with the left trackpad where it tries to scroll both up and down at the same time suggests that SteamOS developers don't even use their own product.

  • I'm not sure on activating Maliit, but I don't have recommendations for improving your typing experience.

    Typing with dual trackpads is much more reliable than typing on the touchscreen. With practice it can be decently quick.

    Another good option is using KDE connect, which will let you type on your phone keyboard instead.

    • Typing with dual trackpads is much more reliable than typing on the touchscreen. With practice it can be decently quick.

      I try to get accustomed to that since over a year but with me touch typing all the time on phones and tablets, the trackpad method remains alien to me.

      Another good option is using KDE connect, which will let you type on your phone keyboard instead.

      I forgot about that. Yeah, it could be a remedy but taking out yet another device is not the pinnacle of usability either...

  • the left side of my steam deck was very unresponsive. i returned it to valve. the new device i received works like every other touch device i have.

    • the left side of my steam deck was very unresponsive. i returned it to valve. the new device i received works like every other touch device i have.

      I experience the problem only when typing. I use by Steam Deck as a clunky tablet all the time, so using touch to browse the web.

7 comments