How I made my custom keyboard layout on Linux and Windows
This post explains how to set up a keyboard layout the way I like it. It may not fit you at all, but it may give you ideas that would work for you.
In short: I remap Caps Lock to add some extra keys.
First a description of what my preferred keyboard layout is: I type Dvorak, but also want to occasionally use Swedish letters. There are a couple of Dvorak versions for Swedish, but since most of my typing is in English or programming I think they compromise too much on the accessibility of other keys to add these three Swedish characters.
So for decade or so I’ve been remapping Caps Lock to AltGr and holding down AltGr to add new keys. Typing “ö” quickly became fluent and easy, since it involves holding down one key with my left hand and pressing a key with another.
I used this method even before I switched to Dvorak, because if you’ve ever coded on a Swedish keyboard you should know how terrible it is. I know several Swedish programmers who use US keyboard layout all the time because of this, and simply live without being able to type proper Swedish.