I used Gnome for a long time, but preferred vanilla X input method (`xim`) over the default GTK behaviour. I just set `GTK_IM_MODULE` and `QT_IM_MODULE` environment variables to `xim`, and didn't have any problem with multiple-layout config, `Compose` key, custom `~/.XCompose` and `misc:typo` typography extensions.

Recent Gnome 3.6 completely screwed keyboard input by shipping a half-baked and buggy `ibus` [and forcing it upon the users](http://blogs.gnome.org/mclasen/2012/09/21/input-sources-in-gnome/). I just couldn't get the keyboard working as well as before (even with `ibus` disabled), and had to abandon Gnome completely.

Now I use a simple window manager, and configure my keyboard with `setxkbmap`. While the keyboard works well again, I couldn't get the Compose key working everywhere. Compose works in plain X11 apps (`xterm`), but it doesn't work in neither GTK2, nor GTK3, nor Qt apps.

I use current Archlinux versions:

```
xorg-xinput 1.6.0
xorg-server 1.13.1
xf86-input-keyboard 1.6.2
gtk2 2.24.14
gtk3 3.6.4
qt 4.8.4

```

and enable `Compose` key like this:

```
setxkbmap ... -option 'compose:menu'

```

and export `GTK_IM_MODULE`, `QT_IM_MODULE` variables:

```
$ echo $GTK_IM_MODULE $QT_IM_MODULE 
xim xim

```

`Compose` key is properly recognized by X11:

```
$ xev | grep -A2 --line-buffered '^KeyRelease' | sed -n '/keycode /s/^.*keycode \([0-9]*\).* (.*, \(.*\)).*$/\1 \2/p'
135 Multi_key

```

It works properly in `xterm`, sequences from my `~/.XCompose` included. It doesn't work in either GTK or Qt apps. Let say, if I enter `Compose` `'`, then apps echo `'` immediately, without waiting for the third key in the sequence.

Now I suppose something has changed in either Xorg (because `Compose` doesn't work in Qt apps either), or in GTK *and* Qt. `*_IM_MODULE` variables are not enough now. What else is required to make modern GTK and Qt recognise `xim` and its Compose sequences?

P.S. There is a similar (and unanswered) question about [Compose key not working in GTK](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/39547/dead-compose-keys-not-working-in-gtk-apps-since-upgrade). Unlike the asker, I don't have `ibus` installed.