How do you swap or remap Control and CAPS Lock keys in Xubuntu?

Question

I'm using Xubuntu 12.04. How do I either swap or remap the Control and Caps Lock keys?

Answer 1

To swap the keys go:

Xubuntu → Settings Manager → Session and Startup

Then in the Sessions and Startup configurator go

Application Autostart (tab at the top) → Add (bottom button)

Now on the Add Application screen

• Name: Control and CapsLk swap
• Description: Swap the two keys
• Command: /usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "ctrl:swapcaps"

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To remap Caps Lock to Control go:

Xubuntu → Settings Manager → Session and Startup

Then in the Sessions and Startup configurator go

Application Autostart (tab at the top) → Add (bottom button)

Now on the Add Application screen

Name: Remap CapsLk to Ctrl
Description: Remap the CapsLk key to Control
Command: /usr/bin/setxkbmap -option "ctrl:nocaps"

Answer 2

For compose instead of caps put compose:caps as the -options parameter.

Answer 3

Another way:

sudo vi /etc/default/keyboard

then find the line that starts with XKBOPTIONS, and add ctrl:nocaps to make Caps Lock an additional Control key or ctrl:swapcaps to swap Caps Lock and Control.

For example, mine looks like

XKBOPTIONS="lv3:ralt_alt,compose:menu,ctrl:nocaps"

then run

sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

The reason this way is better is that it will take effect on the virtual consoles (e.g. Ctrl+Alt+F1) as well as in the graphical desktop.

Answer 4

For Raring (at least):

Start "Keyboard layout" (from dash).

Press "Options..." to reach "Keyboard layout options" menu.

I chose "Ctrl key position" => "Caps lock as Ctrl". Your tastes may differ.