[tlug] Two keyboards, two layouts

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

Having finally received a shiny new Dell SK-8115 JP106 keyboard
(thanks, Miyoshi-san!), I have been able to destroy the monstrosity
that is my UK layout keyboard (think US, but with Shift-3 being a
bloody pound sign--£--I remapped it to the Euro mark--€--in protest).
[1]

All is joyous save one minor issue: my laptop's built-in keyboard is
UK, and my shiny new USB keyboard is JP. I currently set my keyboard
layout via RHEL5's magical system-config-keyboard utility to JP, which
turns my physical UK keyboard JP as well. That is generally OK, except
when the stoopid UK layout makes it impossible to find a punctuation
character (I am more or less a touch typist, but the fact that I
routinely use US, JP, and UK layouts makes it difficult for my fingers
to remember where certain symbols are without the hint of looking at
the keycap).

I know how to switch layouts in both console mode and X, which is why
this is only a minor nuisance. But what I would like to do is write
some sort of udev rule (I guess) that sets the layout of my USB
keyboard correctly when I plug it in.

So two questions, I guess:

1. Is it even possible to have N active keyboard layouts for N
attached keyboards? (This would also be useful for pair programming,
where my mate could plug in his US or UK keyboard to my docking
station and just start typing, rather than wait for me to remember the
right incantation of the right X utility to set the layout.)
2. Does anyone know how to accomplish (1)? My gut tells me udev, but I
haven't the energy to Google.

I realise that this is a bit of a lazy question, but a) maybe someone
is willing to forgive my laziness, and b) this question seemed an
interesting one for TLUG anyway. :)

Cheers,
Josh

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#UK