Getting Control on Caps Lock

GAVollink · 04-04-2007, 12:12 PM

a/k/a Caps Lock as Another Control
a/k/a Swap Caps Lock and Control

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Vitals:

Debian (unstable)
kernel, 2.6.18-4-686
Xorg 7.1.1

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Introduction:

If you've ever had the pleasure of using a 'Sun' keyboard, you'll note
that the Caps Lock and Control keys are swapped. If you use your keyboard
a lot, you probably use the Ctrl key a lot, and probably don't use the
Caps Lock very often, if ever (UNLESS YOU'RE INTO YELLING). So, why force
the awkward pinky reach down to the Ctrl?

This is in two parts, mostly because the Console terminals, the virtual
terminals that don't have an X display, use a different keyboard mapping
than the X window system.

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Console:

Update /etc/console/boottime.kmap.gz

First make a backup, then uncompress and edit the file...

Code:

mv /etc/console/boottime.kmap.gz /etc/console/boottime.kmap.orig.gz
cp /etc/console/boottime.kmap.orig.gz /etc/console/boottime.kmap.gz
cp /etc/console/boottime.kmap.orig.gz /etc/console/test.kmap.gz
gzip -d /etc/console/test.kmap.gz
vim /etc/console/test.kmap

Find the Caps_Lock entry, which should be:

Code:

keycode  58 = Caps_Lock

Then replace it with Control

Code:

keycode  58 = Control

+++++

Finally, If you want to swap the Caps Lock and left Ctrl keys,
find the left control entry, which should be:

Code:

keycode  29 = Control

Then replace it with Caps_Lock

Code:

keycode  29 = Caps_Lock

Human Compatability Note:
I did use the swapped mapping for a short while, but my wife was NOT
happy with the resulting layout. She kept on struggling to remember
the new location of 'Ctrl'.

+++++

Remember to re-zip the keymap when you are done.

Code:

gzip /etc/console/test.kmap

Finally, because you are tampering with your console keymap,
do 'test' the test...

Code:

loadkeys test.kmap.gz

Make sure the keyboard does everything you expect that it should do. Only then
should you copy the test.kmap.gz over the boottime.kmap.gz (technically, I should
be telling the boot process to load an alternate keymap, instead of overwriting
the default, this is easier).

----
Xorg:

Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver "kbd"
    Option "CoreKeyboard"
    Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
    Option "XkbModel" "pc104" # Your model may be different here.
    Option "XkbLayout" "us" # This is the only one I tested.
    Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps" # This is the new line.
EndSection

I found the valid XkbOptions lines in the "*.lst" files at
/etc/X11/xkb/rules/
Another valid xkbOption is "ctrl:swapcaps".

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M$ Win XP:

Because we sometimes have to use it...

The following are contents of loadable 'keymap.reg' files...

Just set Caps Lock as another Control

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,1d,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00

Swap Ctrl and Caps Lock:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,1d,00,3a,00,3a,00,1d,e0,\
  00,00,00,00

NOTE: This works for XP using 'US' keyboard layouts. Your results could vary.
Screwing with the Windows registry is dangerous.

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Thank you, I hope this helps someone besides me.

XavierP · 04-04-2007, 02:44 PM

I would suggest that you repost this in the Tutorials section. Leaving it here will just see the thread being pushed down the forums and lost.

reddazz · 04-04-2007, 02:57 PM

Closed because of the reasons mentioned above.