Configuring Linux Keyboard Settings

1. Introduction

Keyboard settings are an important aspect of any Linux system as it affects user experience. In Linux systems, keyboard settings are controlled by the X window system and the console. In this article, we will focus on configuring keyboard settings in Linux.

2. Configuring X11 Keyboard Settings

X11 is the graphical windowing system used by Linux systems. Keyboard settings for X11 can be configured using the xset command and the xmodmap tool.

2.1. Using xset Command

The xset command is used to control various X11 settings, including keyboard settings. The xset q command can be used to display current keyboard settings. Here's an example:

xset q

Keyboard Control:
  auto repeat:  on    key click percent:  0    LED mask:  00000000
  XKB indicators:
    00: Caps Lock:   off    01: Num Lock:    off    02: Scroll Lock: off
    03: Compose:     off    04: Kana:        off    05: Sleep:       off
    06: Suspend:     off    07: Mute:        off    08: Misc:        off
    09: Mail:        off    10: Charging:    off    11: Shift Lock:  off
    12: Group 2:     off    13: Mouse Keys:  off

To turn on/off auto-repeat, use the xset r on/off command. For example, to turn off auto-repeat, run:

xset r off

To set the repeat rate and delay, use the xset r rate delay rate command. For example, to set the repeat rate to 120 characters per minute and the delay to 500 milliseconds, run:

xset r rate 120 500

2.2. Using xmodmap Tool

The xmodmap tool is used to modify keymaps and pointer button mappings in X11. This tool can be used to remap keys, change layout, and configure keyboard shortcuts.

Here's an example command to remap the Caps Lock key to the Escape key:

xmodmap -e "keycode 66 = Escape"

To reset all keymaps to the default, use the xmodmap -e "clear mod1" -e "clear lock" -e "clear control" -e "clear mod2" -e "clear mod3" -e "clear mod4" -e "clear mod5" -e "add mod1 = Alt_L Meta_L" -e "add mod2 = Num_Lock" -e "add mod3 = Scroll_Lock" -e "add mod4 = Super_L Hyper_L" -e "add mod5 = Mode_switch ISO_Level3_Shift" -e "keycode any = XF86Ungrab NoSymbol XF86Switch_VT_1" -e "pointer = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9"

3. Configuring Console Keyboard Settings

The Linux console is the command line interface used by Linux systems. Keyboard settings for the console can be configured using the kbd package.

3.1. Installing kbd Package

First, check if the kbd package is installed on your system:

dpkg -l | grep kbd

If the package is not installed, install it using your distribution's package manager:

sudo apt-get install kbd

3.2. Using loadkeys Command

The loadkeys command is used to load and set keyboard mappings in the console. Keyboard mappings are defined in keymaps that are stored in the /usr/share/keymaps/ directory.

Here's an example command to load the US keymap:

sudo loadkeys us

To list available keymaps, run the ls /usr/share/keymaps/ command.

3.3. Using dumpkeys Command

The dumpkeys command is used to print the current keyboard settings and keymaps in the console. Here's an example command to print the current keymap:

dumpkeys

This will output a lot of information. To filter for a specific keymap, pipe the output to grep. For example, to view the US keymap:

dumpkeys | grep -A 100 '^keymaps.*us.map.gz'

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed how to configure keyboard settings in Linux using the X11 window system and the console. Keyboard settings are important as they affect user experience and productivity. By applying the knowledge presented here, users can customize their keyboard settings to suit their needs.