Yes, good question. One reason is that I haven't found a convenient portable way of modifying Linux keyboard configurations. Another is that sometimes I'm SSH-ing in from a machine that isn't even Linux.
I have used xkbcomp to replace a character I don't need with one I do, but the recipe tends to require maintenance and I don't know how to program dead keys with that approach. Perhaps there's a better way nowadays.
I was somehow expecting the answer to be: "Yes, I do all my keyboard input from inside emacs, including running the shell".
For linux-portable keyboard configuration, you may find that an unholy mix of setxbmap (to set up the grand options) and xmodmap (to modify a few particular keys) is what works best for you. At least it does for me.
> sometimes I'm SSH-ing in from a machine that isn't even Linux.
I have used xkbcomp to replace a character I don't need with one I do, but the recipe tends to require maintenance and I don't know how to program dead keys with that approach. Perhaps there's a better way nowadays.