org-howto/xkb.org

xkb resources

• Introduction
• Links
• Commands
  • setxkbmap
• Queries
  • xkb rules
  • find codes interactively
  • setxkbmap
  • /etc/default/keyboard
  • udevadm
  • /var/log/Xorg.0.log
  • dump keyboard map

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Introduction

Resources for using xkb to control keyboard map. xmodmap is deprecated, because it requires a base to work from – it behaves like a 'patch'

Links

• http://madduck.net/docs/extending-xkb – xkb howto
• https://wiki.debian.org/XStrikeForce/InputHotplugGuide – debian hotplug guide for X11

Commands

setxkbmap

• model: keyboard model; defines which keys exist
• layout: keyboard layout; defines what keys do
• variant: layout variations
• options: configurable aspects – keyboard features

To install a new keymap:

setxkbmap -model thinkpad -layout us -variant intl -option grp:win_switch

To make capslock work like control:

setxkbmap -option ctrl:nocaps

Queries

xkb rules

cat //usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev | grep grp:win

  grp:win_switch	=	+group(win_switch)
  grp:win_space_toggle	=	+group(win_space_toggle)
  grp:win_menu_switch	=	+group(win_menu_switch)

find codes interactively

xev | sed -ne '/^KeyPress/,/^$/p'

Now press a key to get output like:

KeyPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window ..
root .., subw .., time .., (878,1020), root:(2320,1621),
state .., keycode 128 (keysym 0x1008ff4a, XF86LaunchA), same_screen YES

setxkbmap

Use setxkbmap to print what it would do without actually doing it:

setxkbmap -model thinkpad -layout us -variant intl -option grp:win_switch -print

xkb_keymap {
	xkb_keycodes  { include "evdev+aliases(qwerty)"	};
	xkb_types     { include "complete"	};
	xkb_compat    { include "complete"	};
	xkb_symbols   { include "pc+us(intl)+inet(evdev)+group(win_switch)"	};
	xkb_geometry  { include "thinkpad(us)"	};
};

/etc/default/keyboard

grep -i xkb /etc/default/keyboard

XKBMODEL="pc105"
XKBLAYOUT="us"
XKBVARIANT=""
XKBOPTIONS=""

udevadm

udevadm info --export-db | grep -i XKB

E: XKBLAYOUT=us
E: XKBMODEL=pc105
E: XKBLAYOUT=us
E: XKBMODEL=pc105
E: XKBLAYOUT=us
E: XKBMODEL=pc105
E: XKBLAYOUT=us
E: XKBMODEL=pc105
E: XKBLAYOUT=us
E: XKBMODEL=pc105

/var/log/Xorg.0.log

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -C 1 -i 'internal keyboard'

[   456.475] (II) This device may have been added with another device file.
[   456.475] (II) config/udev: Adding input device Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad (/dev/input/event5)
[   456.475] (**) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
[   456.475] (II) Using input driver 'evdev' for 'Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad'
[   456.475] (**) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad: always reports core events
[   456.475] (**) evdev: Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad: Device: "/dev/input/event5"
[   456.475] (--) evdev: Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad: Vendor 0x5ac Product 0x262
[   456.475] (--) evdev: Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad: Found keys
[   456.475] (II) evdev: Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad: Configuring as keyboard
[   456.475] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-12/1-12:1.0/0003:05AC:0262.0001/input/input5/event5"
[   456.475] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad" (type: KEYBOARD, id 10)
[   456.475] (**) Option "xkb_rules" "evdev"

dump keyboard map

xkbcomp $DISPLAY /tmp/xkb.dump
cat /tmp/xkb.dump | head -18

xkb_keymap {
xkb_keycodes "evdev+aliases(qwerty)" {
    minimum = 8;
    maximum = 255;
<ESC> = 9;
    <AE01> = 10;
    <AE02> = 11;
    <AE03> = 12;
    <AE04> = 13;
    <AE05> = 14;
    <AE06> = 15;
    <AE07> = 16;
    <AE08> = 17;
    <AE09> = 18;
    <AE10> = 19;
    <AE11> = 20;
    <AE12> = 21;
    <BKSP> = 22;