How to remove keyboard icon from keyboard layout indicator (to leave just the language abbr. alone)?

In addition to monotasker's solution, here's exact steps how to easily get flags instead of keyboard icon + abbreviation:

1. in gconf-editor, check /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/indicator/showFlags
2. install set of flags using sudo apt-get install famfamfam-flag-png
3. make a softlink: ln -s /usr/share/flags/countries/16x11 ~/.icons/flags

In the next login, you should see flags in indicator applet.

The solution here is to turn on the "show flags" option and install some flag image files.

I've posted a pack of SVG language flags (along with instructions for installing and enabling them) here (for dark panels) and here (for light panels).

The light-panel version looks best with Faenza or Elementary iconsets, but is also not bad with ubuntu-mono-light. The dark panel version is really best suited for Faenza. If there's enough interest, I can create another set to match ubuntu-mono-dark. The gnome-look.org pages include instructions for installing the sets.

And if I've missed your language, let me know the code and I'll add it to the set.

[Solved]

To completely remove the keyboard indicator we need to change one byte in the /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon-2.0/libkeyboard.so file.

1. Make a backup of libkeyboard.so file.
2. Open the file with root privileges through any hex editor (I use Bless).

3. Search for the byte signature FF 83 F8 01 0F

   FF 83 F8 01 0F = if (g_slist_length (current_kbd_config.layouts_variants) > 1)

4. Change 01 to 02

   FF 83 F8 02 0F

5. Save the file. (this should be the new contents of the file)

   FF 83 F8 02 0F = if (g_slist_length (current_kbd_config.layouts_variants) > 2)

If you have less than 3 keyboard layouts, icon will be not shown. After this, you need to reload gnome-settings-daemon, you can use reboot for this.

I think icon will be removed from indicator in release. So just wait 2 weeks. See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ayatana-ubuntu/+bug/620331 for further information. And note "Fix commited" status of that bug.

EDIT: Try /apps/gnome_settings_daemon/plugins/keyboard/active=false for now. Also, install xneur (auto-layout switcher for X).