Check the dedicated website : qwerty-fr.org
This page introduces the French qwerty keyboard.
Qwerty-fr layout have been designed for French people using qwerty keyboard or English native people who wants to type French.
A good example could be the fact that many programmers prefer using qwerty keyboard - considered like a "coders' dvorak" since it allows easy access to symbols - but need also diacritics for word processing.
If you are not looking for a keyboard layout or if you dont want to install anything, you can try this online diacritics tool.
Thanks to Pierre Wacrenier for the Mac OS version of this keyboard layout.
The keyboard layout is fully compliant with traditionnal qwerty.
This means that standard keys are not replaced by dead keys (key to compose with), traditionnal symbols are at the same place.
However, dead keys (keys ~ ` ' , " ^ ˇ °
) are accessible with AltGr key 1.
You can directly access to all french characters using AltGr or build its with compose functionality.
The keyboard layout is available under Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Arch), Mac OS 10.4 and Windows (2000, XP, 2003, Vista and 7).
Confer Known issues and limitations section for more details about support.
.deb packages based Linux 1
Download deb file and use command dpkg --install
Arch Linux
On the arch user repository page, you will find revelant PKGBUILD
Mac OS 2
Download pkg installer.
Or download zip archive, extract qwerty-fr.bundle to:
/Library/Keyboard Layouts/
to install for all users
~/Library/Keyboard Layouts/
for user-local installation
Windows (2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7) 3
Download zip archive, extract files and run setup.exe
In case of other Linux distribution or installation issue, you can refer to manual installation page for Linux.
The layout passed the following test succefully:
Retyping this sentence without using dead keys on qwerty-fr layout:
"Dès Noël où un zéphyr haï me vêt de glaçons würmiens je dîne d'exquis rôtis de bœuf au kir à l'aÿ d'âge mûr & cæera !"
2 No dead key are implemented yet for Mac OS