+ Last update: 2005-01-17, version 1.4
+
+This file is maintained by H. Peter Anvin <unicode@lanana.org> as part
+of the Linux Assigned Names And Numbers Authority (LANANA) project.
+The current version can be found at:
+
+ http://www.lanana.org/docs/unicode/unicode.txt
+
+ ------------------------
+
The Linux kernel code has been rewritten to use Unicode to map
characters to fonts. By downloading a single Unicode-to-font table,
both the eight-bit character sets and UTF-8 mode are changed to use
permits for example the use of block graphics even with a Latin-1 font
loaded.
+Note that although these codes are similar to ISO 2022, neither the
+codes nor their uses match ISO 2022; Linux has two 8-bit codes (G0 and
+G1), whereas ISO 2022 has four 7-bit codes (G0-G3).
+
In accordance with the Unicode standard/ISO 10646 the range U+F000 to
U+F8FF has been reserved for OS-wide allocation (the Unicode Standard
refers to this as a "Corporate Zone", since this is inaccurate for
two (in case 1024- or 2048-character fonts ever become necessary).
This leaves U+E000 to U+EFFF as End User Zone.
-The Unicodes in the range U+F000 to U+F1FF have been hard-coded to map
-directly to the loaded font, bypassing the translation table. The
-user-defined map now defaults to U+F000 to U+F1FF, emulating the
-previous behaviour. This range may expand in the future should it be
-warranted.
+[v1.2]: The Unicodes range from U+F000 and up to U+F7FF have been
+hard-coded to map directly to the loaded font, bypassing the
+translation table. The user-defined map now defaults to U+F000 to
+U+F0FF, emulating the previous behaviour. In practice, this range
+might be shorter; for example, vgacon can only handle 256-character
+(U+F000..U+F0FF) or 512-character (U+F000..U+F1FF) fonts.
+
Actual characters assigned in the Linux Zone
--------------------------------------------
-In addition, the following characters not present in Unicode 1.1.4 (at
-least, I have not found them!) have been defined; these are used by
-the DEC VT graphics map:
+In addition, the following characters not present in Unicode 1.1.4
+have been defined; these are used by the DEC VT graphics map. [v1.2]
+THIS USE IS OBSOLETE AND SHOULD NO LONGER BE USED; PLEASE SEE BELOW.
U+F800 DEC VT GRAPHICS HORIZONTAL LINE SCAN 1
U+F801 DEC VT GRAPHICS HORIZONTAL LINE SCAN 3
a smooth progression in the DEC VT graphics character set. I have
omitted the scan 5 line, since it is also used as a block-graphics
character, and hence has been coded as U+2500 FORMS LIGHT HORIZONTAL.
-However, I left U+F802 blank should the need arise.
-Klingon language support
-------------------------
+[v1.3]: These characters have been officially added to Unicode 3.2.0;
+they are added at U+23BA, U+23BB, U+23BC, U+23BD. Linux now uses the
+new values.
-Unfortunately, Unicode/ISO 10646 does not allocate code points for the
-language Klingon, probably fearing the potential code point explosion
-if many fictional languages were submitted for inclusion. There are
-also political reasons (the Japanese, for example, are not too happy
-about the whole 16-bit concept to begin with.) However, with Linux
-being a hacker-driven OS it seems this is a brilliant linguistic hack
-worth supporting. Hence I have chosen to add it to the list in the
-Linux Zone.
+[v1.2]: The following characters have been added to represent common
+keyboard symbols that are unlikely to ever be added to Unicode proper
+since they are horribly vendor-specific. This, of course, is an
+excellent example of horrible design.
-Several glyph forms for the Klingon alphabet have been proposed.
-However, since the set of symbols appear to be consistent throughout,
-with only the actual shapes being different, in keeping with standard
-Unicode practice these differences are considered font variants.
+U+F810 KEYBOARD SYMBOL FLYING FLAG
+U+F811 KEYBOARD SYMBOL PULLDOWN MENU
+U+F812 KEYBOARD SYMBOL OPEN APPLE
+U+F813 KEYBOARD SYMBOL SOLID APPLE
-Klingon has an alphabet of 26 characters, a positional numeric writing
-system with 10 digits, and is written left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
-Punctuation appears to be only used in Latin transliteration; it
-appears customary to write each sentence on its own line, and
-centered. Space has been reserved for punctuation should it prove
-necessary.
+Klingon language support
+------------------------
+
+In 1996, Linux was the first operating system in the world to add
+support for the artificial language Klingon, created by Marc Okrand
+for the "Star Trek" television series. This encoding was later
+adopted by the ConScript Unicode Registry and proposed (but ultimately
+rejected) for inclusion in Unicode Plane 1. Thus, it remains as a
+Linux/CSUR private assignment in the Linux Zone.
This encoding has been endorsed by the Klingon Language Institute.
For more information, contact them at:
located it at the end, on a 16-cell boundary in keeping with standard
Unicode practice.
+NOTE: This range is now officially managed by the ConScript Unicode
+Registry. The normative reference is at:
+
+ http://www.evertype.com/standards/csur/klingon.html
+
+Klingon has an alphabet of 26 characters, a positional numeric writing
+system with 10 digits, and is written left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
+
+Several glyph forms for the Klingon alphabet have been proposed.
+However, since the set of symbols appear to be consistent throughout,
+with only the actual shapes being different, in keeping with standard
+Unicode practice these differences are considered font variants.
+
U+F8D0 KLINGON LETTER A
U+F8D1 KLINGON LETTER B
U+F8D2 KLINGON LETTER CH
U+F8F8 KLINGON DIGIT EIGHT
U+F8F9 KLINGON DIGIT NINE
+U+F8FD KLINGON COMMA
+U+F8FE KLINGON FULL STOP
+U+F8FF KLINGON SYMBOL FOR EMPIRE
+
Other Fictional and Artificial Scripts
--------------------------------------
Since the assignment of the Klingon Linux Unicode block, a registry of
-fictional and artificial scripts has been established by John Cowan,
-<cowan@ccil.org>. The ConScript Unicode Registry is accessible at
-http://locke.ccil.org/~cowan/csur/; the ranges used fall at the bottom
-of the End User Zone and can hence not be normatively assigned, but it
-is recommended that people who wish to encode fictional scripts use
-these codes, in the interest of interoperability. For Klingon, CSUR
-has adopted the Linux encoding.
-
- H. Peter Anvin <hpa@zytor.com>
+fictional and artificial scripts has been established by John Cowan
+<jcowan@reutershealth.com> and Michael Everson <everson@evertype.com>.
+The ConScript Unicode Registry is accessible at:
+
+ http://www.evertype.com/standards/csur/
+
+The ranges used fall at the low end of the End User Zone and can hence
+not be normatively assigned, but it is recommended that people who
+wish to encode fictional scripts use these codes, in the interest of
+interoperability. For Klingon, CSUR has adopted the Linux encoding.
+The CSUR people are driving adding Tengwar and Cirth into Unicode
+Plane 1; the addition of Klingon to Unicode Plane 1 has been rejected
+and so the above encoding remains official.
git://git.onelab.eu / linux-2.6.git / blobdiff