Bsrgvty

I want to use my Apple long aluminium keyboard with swapped Command Cmd and Control Ctrl keys. How is this done step by step on Trusty Tahr (14.04) using xkb?

Note: This solution doesn't work for me as xkb replaced xmodmap in 13.04 or even earlier.

This answer is mostly based on the answer given here. The reason I ask and answer this question again is the final step, which was not fully described. For further reading about xkb look here, here, and here.

1. 
   

   Create a file in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols (could also be in /etc/X11/xkb/symbols) called altwin2 and containing the following mapping:

   
   
   

   // Control is SWAPPED with Win-keys 
   partial modifier_keys
   xkb_symbols "cmd_n_ctrl" 
    key <LWIN> [ Control_L ] ;
    key <RWIN> [ Control_R ] ;
    key <LCTL> [ Super_L ] ;
    modifier_map Control <LWIN>, <RWIN> ;
    modifier_map Mod4 <LCTL> ;
   ;
   

   
   


2. 
   

   Insert the following line under the option = symbols section in /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev (disregard the warning on the first line):

   
   
   

   altwin2:cmd_n_ctrl = +altwin2(cmd_n_ctrl)
   

   
   


3. 
   

   Add the new option to /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.lst under the section option:

   
   
   

   altwin2:cmd_n_ctrl Win swapped with Ctrl
   

   
   


4. 
   

   If you don't know where your keyboard configuration file is, you can edit it using dconf-editor, adding "altwin2:cmd_n_ctrl" in xkb-options under org::gnome::desktop::input-sources as shown here. If you know where your configuration file is, you should include the new option in the XkbOptions field as shown below:

   
   
   

   Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "keyboard-layout"
    Driver "evdev"
    MatchIsKeyboard "yes"
    Option "XkbLayout" "us, ru, ca, fr"
    Option "XkbOptions" "altwin2:cmd_n_ctrl"
   EndSection
   

   
   


5. 
   

   Either reboot or restart lightdm to update the changes:

   
   
   

   sudo restart lightdm
   

   
   

NOTE: if any changes are made directly in the layout files, i.e. not using options, the cached files in /var/lib/xkb/ need to be deleted as indicated here.

In 16.04, here's the way I finally got this to work.
Xmodmap doesn't work universally in all apps, gnome tweak tool lacked the function, dconf editing a custom altwin2 key swap (like the main answer here) failed, so I was tearing my hair out until I combined several answers into this complete, simple, and elegant solution:

gksudo gedit /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc

change it to:

default partial alphanumeric_keys modifier_keys
xkb_symbols "pc105" 

key <ESC> [ Escape ] ;

// The extra key on many European keyboards:
key <LSGT> [ less, greater, bar, brokenbar ] ;

// The following keys are common to all layouts.
key <BKSL> [ backslash, bar ] ;
key <SPCE> [ space ] ;

include "srvr_ctrl(fkey2vt)"
include "pc(editing)"
include "keypad(x11)"

key <BKSP> [ BackSpace, BackSpace ] ;

key <TAB> [ Tab, ISO_Left_Tab ] ;
key <RTRN> [ Return ] ;

key <CAPS> [ Caps_Lock ] ;
key <NMLK> [ Num_Lock ] ;

key <LFSH> [ Shift_L ] ;
key <LCTL> [ Alt_L ] ;
key <LWIN> [ Super_L ] ;

key <RTSH> [ Shift_R ] ;
key <RCTL> [ Alt_R ] ;
key <RWIN> [ Super_R ] ;
key <MENU> [ Menu ] ;

// Beginning of modifier mappings.
modifier_map Shift Shift_L, Shift_R ;
modifier_map Lock Caps_Lock ;
modifier_map Control Control_L, Control_R ;
modifier_map Mod2 Num_Lock ;
modifier_map Mod4 Super_L, Super_R ;

// Fake keys for virtual<->real modifiers mapping:
key <LVL3> [ ISO_Level3_Shift ] ;
key <MDSW> [ Mode_switch ] ;
modifier_map Mod5 <LVL3>, <MDSW> ;

key <ALT> [ NoSymbol, Control_L, Control_R ] ;
//include "altwin(meta_alt)"
key <LALT> [ Control_L ] ;
key <RALT> [ Control_R ] ;
modifier_map Mod1 Alt_L, Alt_R, Meta_L, Meta_R ;

key <META> [ NoSymbol, Meta_L, Meta_R ] ;
modifier_map Mod1 <META> ;

key <SUPR> [ NoSymbol, Super_L ] ;
modifier_map Mod4 <SUPR> ;

key <HYPR> [ NoSymbol, Hyper_L ] ;
modifier_map Mod4 <HYPR> ;
// End of modifier mappings.

key <OUTP> [ XF86Display ] ;
key <KITG> [ XF86KbdLightOnOff ] ;
key <KIDN> [ XF86KbdBrightnessDown ] ;
key <KIUP> [ XF86KbdBrightnessUp ] ;
;

hidden partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "editing" 
key <PRSC> 
type= "PC_ALT_LEVEL2",
symbols[Group1]= [ Print, Sys_Req ]
;
key <SCLK> [ Scroll_Lock ] ;
key <PAUS> 
type= "PC_CONTROL_LEVEL2",
symbols[Group1]= [ Pause, Break ]
;
key <INS> [ Insert ] ;
key <HOME> [ Home ] ;
key <PGUP> [ Prior ] ;
key <DELE> [ Delete ] ;
key <END> [ End ] ;
key <PGDN> [ Next ] ;

key <UP> [ Up ] ;
key <LEFT> [ Left ] ;
key <DOWN> [ Down ] ;
key <RGHT> [ Right ] ;
;

Save.

rm -rf /var/lib/xkb/*

(I don't know if this is required, but I did it.)

Reboot.

You may find Kinto to be useful. It's a project I recently created, after a few years of tackling this problem a few different ways and I just now feel like it's solid enough to share.

The Kinto installer simply uses python to do the initial install, after that it's just a systemd service, bash, xprop, setxkbmap and xkbcomp. As far as I am concerned it is the fastest and most native solution to this problem that you are going to find.

https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto

https://medium.com/@benreaves/kinto-a-mac-inspired-keyboard-mapping-for-linux-58f731817c0

Here's a Gist as well, if you just want to see what is at the heart of it all, it will not alternate your keymap when needed though. The Gist also does not include custom xkb keymap files that setup macOS style cursors/word-wise manipulations that use Cmd and the arrow keys.

https://gist.github.com/rbreaves/f4cf8a991eaeea893999964f5e83eebb

gist content

# permanent apple keyboard keyswap
echo "options hid_apple swap_opt_cmd=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf
update-initramfs -u -k all

# Temporary & instant apple keyboard keyswap
echo '1' | sudo tee -a /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/swap_opt_cmd

# Windows and Mac keyboards - GUI (Physical Alt is Ctrl, Physical Super is Alt, Physical Ctrl is Super)
setxkbmap -option;setxkbmap -option altwin:ctrl_alt_win

# Windows and Mac keyboards - Terminal Apps (Physical Alt is Super, Physical Super is Alt, Physical Ctrl is Ctrl)
setxkbmap -option;setxkbmap -option altwin:swap_alt_win

#
# If you want a systemd service and bash script to help toggle between
# GUI and Terminal applications then look at project Kinto.
# https://github.com/rbreaves/kinto
#
# Note: The above may not work for Chromebooks running Linux, please look
# at project Kinto for that.
#
# If anyone would like to contribute to the project then please do!
#