Barrier: Wrong keyboard layout between Server and Client

I think this happens because the XTEST extension is used to deliver the keystrokes, and it has its own virtual keyboard. You can see this if you run xinput list:

$ xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Broadcom Corp. Bluetooth USB Host Controller  id=11   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ bcm5974                                   id=13   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard               id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                              id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Broadcom Corp. Bluetooth USB Host Controller  id=10   [slave  keyboard (3)]

This can be fixed using setxkbmap -device N where N is the device number from this list.
I have solved this issue for now by putting the following in my .xinitrc:

setxkbmap -device `xinput list | grep "Virtual core XTEST keyboard" | sed -e 's/.\+=\([0-9]\+\).\+/\1/'` us colemak

This sets it to layout us, variant colemak. You can work out the correct values for your system, along with any -option settings, by issuing setxkbmap -query.

Really curious: if I use your method with us layout, i.e. with

setxkbmap -device `xinput list | grep "Virtual core XTEST keyboard" | sed -e 's/.\+=\([0-9]\+\).\+/\1/'` us

I get correct it layout (except for accented letters, but it is not a problem).
If I set it layout, it is completely wrong.

Anyway thank you very much for this workaround!

Now it works with it too, after a reboot...

that is awesome!, a couple of years ago I looking for this solution with no luck. Thanks a lot!