Inuktitut Computing

The UQAILAUT Project

Unicode Inuktitut Keyboard Driver

Loading, installation and activation

In order to be able to type in Unicode Inuktitut syllabic characters at the keyboard of your computer, you must have a particular keyboard driver installed. Such a driver interprets the keys that you type according to a certain keyboard layout that maps the syllabic characters onto the keys of the keyboard. To our knowledge, there are 2 such keyboard drivers for Unicode Inuktitut, with slightly different mappings:

Inuktitut Nunacom
- This is the Microsoft Inuktitut Keyboard. Suitable for Nunavut's Inuktitut, but not for Nunavik's Inuttitut because there is no provision for typing the AiPai characters. Do not be confused by its name: this has nothing to do with the Legacy font Nunacom.
Inuttitut-Nunavik (Unicode)
- This Inuktitut keyboard allows for the input of the AiPai characters specific to Nunavik's Inuttitut. To be used with the Unicode font AiPaiNutaaq, since Pigiarniq does not contain the AiPai characters.

Note: If you use a Legacy (non-Unicode) font like ProSyl, Nunacom or AiPaiNunavik, you don't need to load this kind of driver. Click here to go to a page that explains how to type in Inuktitut syllabic characters with those fonts.

Unicode Microsoft "Inuktitut Nunacom" Keyboard Driver for Windows NT, 2000, XP

Download this file: kbdiu.zip
This zip file contains the file kbdiu.exe which prepares the Windows NT, 2000 or XP system for the installation of the Microsoft Inuktitut Keyboard. When you unzip the zip file to extract kbdiu.exe, save it in any directory of your choice and remember it, because you will have to run it soon.
Install the Inuktitut Keyboard
Nota: We reproduce here the installation notes from Multilingual E-Data Solutions:
Installing Unicode fonts and their keyboard
- Install Font
  Using the regular control panel function for fonts, make sure you have a Unicode Syllabic font installed, such as Pigiarniq, Euphemia, NunacomU, Ballymun, or Andale Mono from Monotype.
- Run kbdiu.exe (see the note below about Windows XP)
  This exe file prepares your computer to be able to install the keyboard, which is then done using the regular control panel function. This file can be run directly on Windows NT and 2000. When running on Windows XP, you need to right click on this file and select Properties/Compatibility. Choose "Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 2000". Say OK.
- Add new keyboard
  - Open the Keyboard control panel (Start/Settings/Control Panel)
  - Go to the "Input locales tab"
  - Click "Add"...
  - Pick a keyboard language - English (Canadian) is fine [Indonesian is also good and has the advantage that the two-character form is "IN".] Be sure to clear the checkbox marked "Use default properties for this input locale"
  - Click OK
  - In the dialog that pops up, choose the "Inuktitut Nunacom" keyboard layout. (if this does not appear, you may need to reboot, then come back to this point)
  - OK your way out of the control panel.
Enable Inuktitut keyboard
In the task bar icon tray at the bottom right you should now have an indicator with "EN" [or "IN" if you choose Indonesian] on it.

Click this icon and it should pop up indicating your current keyboard as well as one with the Inuktitut Nunacom layout. Choose the Nunacom layout.

Push CAPS LOCK to enable the Inuktitut layouts. Using Shift, Alt, Alt+Shift provides 3 additional keyboard levels. (see the Inuktitut Keyboard layouts below)

Windows XP Installation Trick (for kbdiu.exe)

There is a bit of a compatibility trick when installing the keyboard on Windows XP. Right-click on the setup module 'kbdiu.exe'. Select "Properties / Compatibility". Then check the box "Run this program in compatibility mode". Then select "Windows 2000" from the drop-down box. After this is done you can run the 'kbdiu.exe', and following approximately the same procedure as on Windows 2000 - on Windows XP keyboards are added in the control panels under "Regional and Language Options/Text Services and Input Languages/Settings/Add".

"Inuktitut Nunacom" Keyboard Layouts

Figure 1. Inuktitut Keyboard Layouts - Levels 1 and 2 - Unicode.

Level 1 : Just press any key for characters at the bottom of the keys.
Level 2 : Press Shift with any key for characters at the top of the keys.

Figure 2. Inuktitut Keyboard Layouts - Levels 3 and 4 - Unicode.

Level 3 : Press Alt with any key for characters at the bottom of the keys.
Level 4 : Press Alt and Shift simultaneously with any key for characters at the top of the keys.

Unicode "Inuttitut-Nunavik" Keyboard Driver for Windows NT, 2000, XP

The zip file and the image of the keyboard layout come from the AiPai fonts and driver installer page of the Kativik School Board site. The image has been slightly altered to reflect Windows keyboards.

Download this file: nunavik_syllabics_installer.zip
This zip file contains the file setup.exe which installs the Unicode Inuttitut-Nunavik Keyboard and the AiPaiNutaaq Unicode font. When you unzip the zip file to extract setup.exe, save it in any directory of your choice and remember it, because you will have to execute it.
Install the Inuttitut Keyboard Driver and Fonts
Execute setup.exe. This will install several fonts with the AiPai characters, both Unicode and non-Unicode, and two keyboard drivers: Inuttitut-Nunavik (Unicode) and Inuttitut-Nunavik (AiPai). We are interested here in the Unicode driver only.
Add the new keyboard into your system
- Open the Keyboard control panel (Start/Settings/Control Panel)
- Go to the "Input locales tab"
- Click "Add"...
- Pick a keyboard language - English (Canadian) is fine [Indonesian is also good and has the advantage that the two-character form is "IN".] Be sure to clear the checkbox marked "Use default properties for this input locale"
- Click OK
- In the dialog that pops up, choose the "Inuktitut-Nunavik (Unicode)" keyboard layout. (if this does not appear, you may need to reboot, then come back to this point)
- OK your way out of the control panel.
Enable the Inuttitut-Nunavik (Unicode) keyboard
In the task bar icon tray at the bottom right you should now have an indicator with "EN" [or "IN" if you choose Indonesian] on it.

Click this icon and it should pop up indicating your current keyboard as well as one with the Inuktitut-Nunavik (Unicode) layout. Choose that layout.

Push CAPS LOCK to enable the Inuktitut layouts. Using Shift, Alt, Alt+Shift provides 3 additional keyboard levels. (see the Inuktitut Keyboard layouts below)

"Inuttitut-Nunavik" Keyboard Layout

Figure 3. Inuttitut-Nunavik (Unicode) Keyboard Layout.

WITH CAPS-LOCK DOWN
Level 1 : Just press any key for characters at the bottom left of the keys.
Level 2 : Press Shift with any key for characters at the top left of the keys.
Level 3 : Press Alt with any key for characters at the bottom right of the keys.
Level 4 : Press Alt and Shift simultaneously with any key for characters at the top right of the keys.

The original contents of this site was developed by Benoît Farley at the National Research Council of Canada.