Difference between revisions of "CapsLock Remap Howto"

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== CapsLock is Satan ==
 
== CapsLock is Satan ==
  
On most PC keyboards the Caps Lock key is where the Ctrl key should be. Whenever I get a new keyboard or laptop, I always pop off the key then take a razor blade and scrape off the "Caps Lock" print. I then tweak my operating system so that it thinks this key is a Ctrl key. Some people like to make it another Esc key.
+
On most PC keyboards the '''CapsLock''' key is where the '''Ctrl''' key ''should'' be. Whenever I get a new keyboard or laptop, I always pop off the key then take a razor blade and scrape off the "CapsLock" print. I then tweak my operating system so that it thinks this key is a '''Ctrl''' key. Some people like to make it an additional Esc key.
  
== Windows ==
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Some people believe that IBM took the original computer terminal keyboards and replaced the '''Ctrl''' key with the '''CapsLock key''' in order to make their first home computer, the IBM PC, appear more familiar to people who were accustomed to typewriters. This is false. In fact, the first IBM PC's had the '''Ctrl''' key to the left of the '''A'''. Later on, IBM released the IBM PC/AT with a CapsLock favored keyboard. Other people blame Microsoft because they pushed all those other useless keys on the world. There is also a bit of a myth that the old mainframe keyboards were consistent in putting the '''Ctrl''' key to the left of the '''A'''. Actually, the original PC keyboards were the anomaly. Prior to the PC most printing and display terminals had the '''CapsLock''' in the position where it is today. This includes classics such as the DEC VT52 and VT100 terminals; IBM data display terminals such as the IBM2741 and IBM5253. Many of IBM's early small computers that predate the IBM PC had a mix of keyboard styles. Many non-PC personal computers of the time had the '''CapsLock''' to the left of the '''A''': TRS-80, BBC Micro, Osborne 1, Commodore Vic-20, and Commodore C=64. The Apple ][ series had the '''Ctrl''' key in the proper location to the left of the '''A''' key, but sadly, the original Macintosh did not -— it was afflicted with the '''CapsLock''' (and this was before the IBM PC/AT went to the Enhanced keyboard). The Atari computers had the proper '''Ctrl''' key, but their keyboards were horrible membrane things. The Be BoxOS had '''CapsLock'''; Next had '''Ctrl'''.
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 +
== NoCaps! ==
 +
 
 +
The follow explains various ways to turn the CapsLock key into something useful. I like to turn it into a Control key.
 +
 
 +
=== Windows ===
  
 
Go here [http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Miscellaneous/Ctrl2Cap.mspx Sysinternals ctrl2cap].
 
Go here [http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Miscellaneous/Ctrl2Cap.mspx Sysinternals ctrl2cap].
  
== Linux Console ==
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=== Linux Console ===
  
 
You just need to remap keycode 58 from "Caps_Lock" to "Control" then load using loadkeys. Many Linux distros actually have hooks in place to do this for you. This is the command that will do the trick (run this as root):
 
You just need to remap keycode 58 from "Caps_Lock" to "Control" then load using loadkeys. Many Linux distros actually have hooks in place to do this for you. This is the command that will do the trick (run this as root):
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Most distros put these types of commands into a keymap file. The keymap files are stored in different places depending on your version of Linux. It is sometimes called "defkeymap" or "remap".
 
Most distros put these types of commands into a keymap file. The keymap files are stored in different places depending on your version of Linux. It is sometimes called "defkeymap" or "remap".
  
=== Newer Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid ===
+
==== Newer Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid ====
  
 
Simply uncomment the line '''s/keycode  58 = Caps_Lock/keycode  58 = Control/;''' in this file:
 
Simply uncomment the line '''s/keycode  58 = Caps_Lock/keycode  58 = Control/;''' in this file:
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</pre>
 
</pre>
  
=== Ubuntu before 8.10 Intrepid ===
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==== Ubuntu before 8.10 Intrepid ====
  
 
The keyboard maps in Ubuntu are stored here:
 
The keyboard maps in Ubuntu are stored here:
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</pre>
 
</pre>
  
=== Red Hat Enterprise 4 ===
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==== Red Hat Enterprise 4 ====
  
 
On Red Hat Enterprise 4 the file is stored here:
 
On Red Hat Enterprise 4 the file is stored here:
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System
 
System
 
   Preferences
 
   Preferences
     Keyboard  --> opens "Keyboard Preferences" dialod
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     Keyboard  --> ''opens "Keyboard Preferences" dialog''
 
       Layouts tab
 
       Layouts tab
 
         Layout Options...
 
         Layout Options...

Revision as of 17:57, 22 October 2009


CapsLock is Satan

On most PC keyboards the CapsLock key is where the Ctrl key should be. Whenever I get a new keyboard or laptop, I always pop off the key then take a razor blade and scrape off the "CapsLock" print. I then tweak my operating system so that it thinks this key is a Ctrl key. Some people like to make it an additional Esc key.

Some people believe that IBM took the original computer terminal keyboards and replaced the Ctrl key with the CapsLock key in order to make their first home computer, the IBM PC, appear more familiar to people who were accustomed to typewriters. This is false. In fact, the first IBM PC's had the Ctrl key to the left of the A. Later on, IBM released the IBM PC/AT with a CapsLock favored keyboard. Other people blame Microsoft because they pushed all those other useless keys on the world. There is also a bit of a myth that the old mainframe keyboards were consistent in putting the Ctrl key to the left of the A. Actually, the original PC keyboards were the anomaly. Prior to the PC most printing and display terminals had the CapsLock in the position where it is today. This includes classics such as the DEC VT52 and VT100 terminals; IBM data display terminals such as the IBM2741 and IBM5253. Many of IBM's early small computers that predate the IBM PC had a mix of keyboard styles. Many non-PC personal computers of the time had the CapsLock to the left of the A: TRS-80, BBC Micro, Osborne 1, Commodore Vic-20, and Commodore C=64. The Apple ][ series had the Ctrl key in the proper location to the left of the A key, but sadly, the original Macintosh did not -— it was afflicted with the CapsLock (and this was before the IBM PC/AT went to the Enhanced keyboard). The Atari computers had the proper Ctrl key, but their keyboards were horrible membrane things. The Be BoxOS had CapsLock; Next had Ctrl.

NoCaps!

The follow explains various ways to turn the CapsLock key into something useful. I like to turn it into a Control key.

Windows

Go here Sysinternals ctrl2cap.

Linux Console

You just need to remap keycode 58 from "Caps_Lock" to "Control" then load using loadkeys. Many Linux distros actually have hooks in place to do this for you. This is the command that will do the trick (run this as root):

dumpkeys | sed 's/58 = Caps_Lock/58 = Control/' | loadkeys

I put this in my global alias file:

alias killcaps='sudo dumpkeys | sed \'s/58 = Caps_Lock/58 = Control/\' | loadkeys'

Most distros put these types of commands into a keymap file. The keymap files are stored in different places depending on your version of Linux. It is sometimes called "defkeymap" or "remap".

Newer Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid

Simply uncomment the line s/keycode 58 = Caps_Lock/keycode 58 = Control/; in this file:

/etc/kbd/remap

Ubuntu before 8.10 Intrepid

The keyboard maps in Ubuntu are stored here:

/usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty/defkeymap.kmap.gz

Red Hat Enterprise 4

On Red Hat Enterprise 4 the file is stored here:

/lib/kbd/keymaps/i386/qwerty/defkeymap.map.gz


old script to fix defkeymap on Ubuntu

The following script takes care of this for Ubuntu Linux:

#!/bin/sh
echo "transmogrify the Caps_Lock key into another Control key"
gunzip /usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty/defkeymap.kmap.gz
sed -i -e "s/Caps_Lock/Control/" /usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty/defkeymap.kmap
gzip /usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty/defkeymap.kmap
loadkeys -d

console-tools

This can also be done through console-tools. Edit '/etc/console-tools/remap' and uncomment 'keycode 58'.

X11

When running XWindows you need to modify the X11 key map using xmodmap. It is not sufficient to just modify the console keyboard mapping. Use xmodmap to load the following keymap file (save in ~/.Xmodmap):

remove Lock = Caps_Lock
keycode 0x42 = Control_L
add Control = Control_L

make these changes persistent

These keyboard settings are not persistent after a reboot. Most Linuxes will load your ~/.Xmodmap file when you login with xdm or gdm. Some don't. If not then you should add this line to your ~/.xsession and ~/.xinitrc files (after the shebang #!/bin/sh line):

[ -f ~/.Xmodmap ] && xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap

X11 Gnome/Ubuntu

Go to you main panel menu and select the following to get to the CapsLock as Ctrl option:

System
  Preferences
    Keyboard  --> ''opens "Keyboard Preferences" dialog''
      Layouts tab
        Layout Options...
          Ctrl key position
            Make CapsLock an additional Ctrl.