What is Setxkbmap?

Description. The setxkbmap command maps the keyboard to use the layout determined by the options specified on the command line. An XKB keymap is constructed from a number of components which are compiled only as needed. The source for all of the components can be found in /usr/share/X11/xkb.

Is Setxkbmap persistent?

setxkbmap sets the keyboard layout for the current X session only, but can be made persistent in xinitrc or xprofile. However, persistence does not apply to keyboards such as external keyboards, unless their device id was specified when setxkbmap was run.

What is the most effective keyboard layout?

The Colemak layout is arguably the best layout in terms of efficiency, ease of use when coming from QWERTY, however you would need to download a third-party application which does not remap the Backspace with Caps Lock as in a true Colemak layout .

How does Xmodmap work?

The xmodmap program is used to edit and display the keyboard modifier map and keymap table that are used by client applications to convert event keycodes into keysyms. It is usually run from the user’s session startup script to configure the keyboard according to personal tastes.

How do I use Xmodmap?

Type xmodmap -pke to see your current keycode / keysym mapping. Type xmodmap -pke > ~/xmodmap_original to save a version of your mapping before you change anything. To revert to default keymap, just type xmodmap ~/xmodmap_original . part of xmodmap -pke output.

How do I use Xkeycaps?

Clicking left on a key simulates a KeyPress event. Clicking right on a key brings up a menu of operations, including a command to change the keysyms that the key generates….XKeyCaps Manual.

	The cursor to use when selecting a key or window with the mouse. The default is the crosshair cursor.
*Keyboard.Key.highlight (class Background)

Where is the compose key?

The compose key and compose LED on Sun Type 5 and 5c keyboards is the second-rightmost key on the bottom row.

What is Xkbvariant?

XKBVARIANT. Specifies the XKB keyboard variant components. These can be used to further specify the keyboard layout details. Default: not set.

What is Xkbcomp?

The xkbcomp keymap compiler converts a description of an XKB keymap into one of several output formats. The most common use for xkbcomp is to create a compiled keymap file (. xkm extension) which can be read directly by XKB-capable X servers or utilities.

What are the configuration files in XKB for Linux?

The configuration files contained in /usr/share/X11/xkb can be divided in 3 groups accordingly to their aim: files to graphically display the keyboard layout files to configure the key mapping and the keyboard layout files to enable the configuration

What do I need to know about XKB options?

XkbOptions contains some extra options (comma-separated). Used for specifying layout switching, notification LED, compose mode etc. See the #Frequently used XKB options section for examples. Note: You must specify as many variants as the number of specified layouts.

What does xkbvariant do for a keyboard?

XkbVariant selects a specific layout variant available for the XkbLayout. For instance, the default sk variant is qwertz, but you can manually specify qwerty, etc. XkbOptions contains some extra options (comma-separated). Used for specifying layout switching, notification LED, compose mode etc.

How did the Dvorak layout get its name?

DVORAK is a layout: the name comes from its inventor. Its main feature is to have all the vowels placed on the left of the home row and it’s meant to speed up your typing rate and reduce the stress on your fingers.