Creating a custom keyboard layout isn't working

Question

I want to replace my alt keys with my control keys and then place the alt keys on the two menus keys besides the control key. The problem is that the key right of my right alt is actually the print screen button (I have a lenovo thinkpad t430) so I need to adjust this from the config file

I edited the symbols/us file and added severel adjustments such as adding the following:

key <LALT> {[Control_L]};

into the English (US) keyboard (which I am currently using).

The change does not occur on my laptop. What am I doing wrong?

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 03 '13 at 09:03

Why not use Xmodmap for what you are doing? A .xmodmaprc to swap alt and control would look like this:

remove control = Control_L
remove control = Control_R
remove    mod1 = Alt_L
remove    mod1 = Alt_R

! make alt keys to control
keycode     64 = Control_L
keycode    108 = Control_R

! and control keys to alt
keycode     37 = Alt_L
keycode    105 = Alt_R


add    control = Control_L Control_R
add       mod1 = Alt_L Alt_R

Where 64 is the keycode of AltL. Your keycodes may vary, you can find them out with xev Start it and press the AltL key to see the keycode

$ xev
...
KeyPress event, serial 24, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0xb9, subw 0x0, time 599529285, (-70,692), root:(572,713),
    state 0x10, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe3, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False
...

You apply it with

$ xmodmap ~/.xmodmaprc

I remapped my alt and control keys as well. You can take a look at my xmodmap.

Creating a custom keyboard layout isn't working

1 Answers1