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

4 Answers 4

104

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.

16
  • 1
    This is beautiful; how long has XKBOPTIONS been around for? Jan 22, 2014 at 6:39
  • 2
    XkbOptions is named for a setting in X. The capability is provided by the console-setup package, which seems to have been in Ubuntu since at least Lucid, and probably earlier.
    – Mikel
    Jan 22, 2014 at 15:22
  • 2
    Works perfectly on xubuntu 14.04, thank you May 15, 2014 at 8:47
  • 1
    Also works flawlessly here on Ubuntu 14.04.
    – Doorknob
    Aug 7, 2014 at 7:14
  • 6
    use caps:escape to remap the capslock to esc Oct 28, 2014 at 6:47
26

To swap the keys go:

XubuntuSettings ManagerSession 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"

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"
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  • 4
    Wow, that is dramatically harder than it used to be
    – foxxtrot
    Sep 12, 2012 at 1:06
  • On my almost fresh Ubuntu 13.10 install, it works when manually executed but not from “Session and Startup”.
    – Chris
    Mar 8, 2014 at 9:23
  • I no longer suggest this method use the other answer. askubuntu.com/a/223674/29097 Sep 16, 2016 at 22:09
3

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

2

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.

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    What is "dash"? Surely not Unity (in Xubuntu), I hope. This sounds a lot like the Gnome solution that is unavailable in Xubuntu. Jun 7, 2014 at 23:42

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