CSSE computers running Linux offer both English and Māori keyboard layouts by default. This allows you to access macrons (tohutō) when writing documents and insert any of the Ā ā Ē ē Ī ī Ō ō Ū ū characters.
After logging in you'll see the text 'en' at the bottom right of the desktop as indicated below with the red circle.
This indicates the keyboard layout is currently set to English. If you press the Windows key (the key between the left Shift and left Alt keys), and space bar together you'll see this change to 'mi', indicating a change to the Māori keyboard layout. Alternatively, clicking on 'en' will offer you a menu where you can change between layouts as needed, as shown here:
With the Māori layout selected, entering macrons is straight forward. Holding down the Right Alt key on the keyboard while pressing the desired letter will produce a macroned letter. For example, holding down the Right Alt key while pressing 'e' will give you ē. If you'd like that to be capitalised, holding down the Shift key at the same time will give you Ē. The table below shows you the keyboard shortcuts for entering macros.
| Letter | Key combination |
| ā | Right Alt + a |
| ē | Right Alt + e |
| ī | Right Alt + i |
| ō | Right Alt + o |
| ū | Right Alt + u |
As mentioned earlier, if you want capitalised version of the macrons hold down a Shift at the same time.
If you clicked on the 'en' icon to get you a menu, you may have noticed an item labelled Show Keyboard Layout. With either the English or Māori keyboard layout selected, choosing this option opens a window display showing you all the symbols and characters that can be entered. Comparing the English layout to the Māori layout you'll notice a broader range on offer. Check out the Māori layout below.
