Introduction

This article will show you how to force a specific keyboard layout within VCS (Virtual Computer Services).

Applicability

For anyone using or supporting VCS where keyboards type the wrong characters.

Details

By default, VCS will try to determine the type of keyboard you have, and make that same keyboard layout available within VCS. While the vast majority of people use a US-English keyboard layout, sometimes some computers may come with a Canadian-French keyboard. In some cases, you may need to specify the keyboard layout you want to use within VCS, as the auto-detection will not work properly. This may lead to unintended problems such especially if you end up using two or more computers that have different keyboard layouts. This may especially present problems if you set a password on a keyboard layout that you don't normally use.

For people connecting to VCS from an Apple product, or someone using Linux, the keyboard layout detected within VCS commonly may not be the same keyboard layout as what you have specified on your client machine. For this you will need to edit a configuration file on your endpoint machine, to force a specific keyboard layout into VCS.

MacOS

Be sure you are not connected to VCS while doing this step.

• Open Finder
• Click on the Go menu at the top
• Click on Go to folder...
• type in the path /users/username/library/Application Support/Citrix Receiver, replacing username with your user account
• Edit the config file with the OSX text editor
• Change the line "KeyboardLayout=(User Profile)" to "KeyboardLayout=US"
• Save the file

In some cases, doing the step above, doesn't always resolve the issue, so additional steps may be required. Again, make sure you are NOT connected to VCS while doing this step.

• Open Finder
• Click on the Go menu at the top
• Click on Go to folder...
• type in the path /users/username/library/Application Support
• Delete any folder starting with Citrix, such as the screenshot below.
  
• Leave the Finder window open, as we'll need to come back here.
  • -{OPTIONAL}- You may want to take this opportunity to upgrade to the latest version of Citrix Workspace App that is compatible with your version of OSX if you haven't done so for a while. Use these KBs for assistance VCS Downloads  Installing Citrix Workspace App
• Launch VCS, this will create a new set of Citrix files in the /users/username/library/Application Support with the default factory values
• Disconnect from VCS
• Go into the Citrix Receiver folder in Finder
• Edit the config file with the OSX text editor
• Change the line "KeyboardLayout=(User Profile)" to "KeyboardLayout=US"
• Save the file
• Launch VCS

Linux

Be sure you are not connected to VCS while doing this step.

• Open terminal
• Type nano /.ICAClient/wfclient.ini
• Change the line KeyboardLayout = (User Profile) to KeyboardLayout = US
• Save the file, press Ctrl X then press Y then press Enter to overwrite the same filename.

Keywords: VCS,Virtual Computer Services,OSX,linux,keyboard,keys