Configure your keyboard layout

Challenge: You are a translator and want to configure your keyboard according to your needs. For example you want the "ł" character to appear when you press ALT_GR+l and "ą" when you press ALT_GR+a.

Solution: Modify your keyboard layout. To do it, find out your distribution and proceed accordingly:

Ubuntu 8.04

open a console and cd into /etc/X11/xkb/symbols. Now you must know which keyboard layout you are using. It can be de if you are in Germany or pl if you are in Poland and so on. Open this layout file, e.g.

kwrite de

You will see a lot of key definitions like

   key <AC11> { [ l, L, lstroke, Lstroke ] };

This means: The key on block A, line C (that is the line starting with Caps Lock), Number 11, is defined to deliver an "l" if you press it. Or an "L" is you press it together with the Shift key. Or an lstroke, "ł", if you press it with Alt_Gr. Or an Lstroke, "Ł", if you press it together with Shift and Alt_Gr.

The key rows start with the lowest.

key <AAxx>

contains the space bar,

key <ABxx>

contains the "m" on a US keyboard

key <ACxx>

is the third line of keys containing the "a" key and so on.

See also

• dead keys
• compose keys
• modifier keys
• xmodmap
• Unicode character table