I need to type the bullet character • frequently on Linux Mint with Cinnamon. I'm familiar with Linux and know that my Compose key is Right Alt, but none of the commonly suggested sequences—such as Compose followed by period combinations—work for me. Unicode input with Ctrl+Shift+U, 2022, and Enter works, but it takes seven keystrokes. I can also use JavaScript to copy the character to the clipboard, though that isn't ideal. Is there a convenient Compose-key shortcut, text-expansion tool, or another way to configure this? I'd also be interested in a shortcut approach similar to the ones available on macOS or Windows.
2 Answers
Text-expansion utilities such as AutoKey or Espanso are probably the most convenient option if you need the character across web browsers and other applications. You could assign a short trigger, such as `;bullet`, and have it replaced automatically with •.
The exact character may matter here: a bullet is U+2022, while a middle dot is U+00B7. Some Compose references list different sequences for them. A commonly suggested sequence for the bullet is Compose, period, then equals, although Compose support and available sequences can vary by desktop and configuration.
I hadn’t considered that bullet and middle dot might be separate characters. The distinction explains some of the conflicting suggestions I found.