Reduced Layout Packs, ver 1.23
==============================
  Henrique Peron (peron@email.com.br)
  Aitor Santamaria_Merino (aitor.sm@wanadoo.es)


Keyboard layouts for 
    FreeDOS xkeyb version 1.13 (and later)

This software is free software, and is distributed under the GNU-GPL license
version 2.0 or later.

You should have received a copy of this license with the package
(COPYING.TXT). Otherwise, please contact the  Free  Software  Foundation  at
     www.gnu.org


--------
   1.- About the layouts
   2.- How to install the layouts
   3.- Known issues
   4.- Contributions and feedback



1.- ABOUT THE LAYOUTS
=====================

This reduced pack, as opposed to the Full pack, contains an extract of
55 layouts.

For the rest of the layouts, please refer to the full pack.

All layouts  released in Reduced Layout Packs are presented either in  their
standard forms (thus echoing in the screen what you see in the keyboard)  or
in special "cp437-shortened" forms. The latter is related to the  very  same
keyboard you have, though some labeled keys (and/or some combinations)  will
NOT be echoed because codepage 437 does not provide the characters on  those
labeled keys or combinations.

Please check the LAYOUTS.TXT to know about the keyboard  layout  definitions
and codepages under which these layouts are supposed to be used.



2.- HOW TO INSTALL THE LAYOUTS
==============================

XKEYB, from version  1.11  onwards, will  admit  one  of  these  layouts  as
parameter. You may provide full path as parameter, for example:

XKEYB C:\NEW\PACKS\FR.KEY

Alternatively, you can place the packs in the same directory  as  XKEYB.EXE,
or in a directory through the PATH environment variable, so that  you  avoid
fully qualifying the path to the file (and even omit the extension):

XKEYB GR

About the XKEYB program version, note that:

1) These packs are NOT compatible with xkeyb 1.12  or  below, and  will  not
work with such versions. In xkeyb  1.11  and  xkeyb  1.12, you  can  however
workout a correct file, by merging  it  with  PC437.KEY, but  there  are  no
strong software incompatibilities. This is not true for xkeyb 1.10 and below,
where all layouts having COMBI will not work.

2) After xkeyb 1.13, it is absolutely neccessary to place the mandatory file
PC437.KEY in the same  directory  of  XKEYB.EXE, or  alternatively, to place
such file visible through PATH.

3) You are strongly recommended to try and use latest version  of  xkeyb, as
some of the bugs in the program may not let you make full use of  these  new
layouts.

4) This package version is newer than the standard collections of layouts at
Xkeyb 1.13.


3.- KNOWN ISSUES
================

The information used to encode all layouts refers in most cases to graphical
operational systems, so it is possible that characters are found in  <AltGr>
positions which are blank in the DOS versions of the layouts.

On the other hand, <Shift> + <AltGr>  combinations  available  on  graphical
operational systems are not available.

4.- CONTRIBUTIONS AND FEEDBACK
==============================

All your comments or ideas, and specially your feedback is  welcome. You can
use the authors' email addresses as below (languages are indicated)

  Henrique  PERON (peron@email.com.br)                 (English/Portuguese)
  Aitor     SANTAMARIA_MERINO (aitor.sm@wanadoo.es)       (English/Spanish)


For any problems regarding the KEY layouts, please email Henrique.
For any problems with the XKEYB executable program, please email Aitor.
If you are not sure where the problem comes from, please email both or Aitor.
