Where should `setxkbmap us_programmer` go to make it persistent?

Question

Where should my custom setxkbmap us_programmer goto to make it persistent when I log into Ubuntu graphically and also from SSH?

Answer 1

If I would want to use that layout, this is how I would probably do it.

First add this variant to the bottom of /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/us:

partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "programmer" {

    include "us(basic)"
    name[Group1] = "English (US, programmer)";

    key <AE01> {    [      exclam,  1   ]   };
    key <AE02> {    [          at,  2   ]   };
    key <AE03> {    [  numbersign,  3   ]   };
    key <AE04> {    [      dollar,  4   ]   };
    key <AE05> {    [     percent,  5   ]   };
    key <AE06> {    [ asciicircum,  6   ]   };
    key <AE07> {    [   ampersand,  7   ]   };
    key <AE08> {    [    asterisk,  8   ]   };
    key <AE09> {    [   parenleft,  9   ]   };
    key <AE10> {    [  parenright,  0   ]   };
};

Then add this entry to /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml within the <variantList></variantList> of the us layout:

        <variant>
          <configItem>
            <name>programmer</name>
            <description>English (US, programmer)</description>
          </configItem>
        </variant>

After next login I can then add the layout in Settings -> Keyboard and use it as any other keyboard layout.