Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Unless and until desktop OSes make typing symbols not on the keyboard as easy as iOS or Android, I can't be bothered.


It's pretty easy on Linux with the compose key. To get "≠", you just hit compose, then "/", then "=". That's actually the same number of keystrokes as "!=" (since "!" requires the shift key).

For whatever reason, the OS documentation lacks a list of allowed compose key sequences. But they are intuitive enough that you can find many of them through experimentation. For example:

Musical sharp ("♯"): compose + "#" + "#".

Interrobang ("‽"): compose + "!" + "?".

Letter "ñ" as in "jalapeño": compose + "n" + "~".

Copyright ("ⓒ"): compose + "(" + c + ")".


The "compose" key was a new rabbit hole for me. Very handy.


At least in Debian (Trixie), I have a list in: /usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/Compose


[Replying to myself...]

Oops, I got one wrong.

Copyright("©"): compose + "c" + "o".

The one I had is bigger: Ⓒ vs. ©.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2026 batch! Applications are open till July 27.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: