XMODMAP(1) XMODMAP(1)
NAME
xmodmap - utility for modifying keymaps in X
SYNOPSIS
xmodmap [-options ...] [filename]
DESCRIPTION
The xmodmap program is used to edit and display the
keyboard modifier map and keymap table that are used by
client applications to convert event keycodes into
keysyms. It is usually run from the user's session
startup script to configure the keyboard according to
personal tastes.
OPTIONS
The following options may be used with xmodmap:
-display display
specifies the host and display to use.
-help
indicates that a brief description of the command
line arguments should be printed on the standard
error. This is done whenever an unhandled argument
is given to xmodmap.
-grammar
indicates that a help message describing the
expression grammar used in files and with -e
expressions should be printed on the standard
error.
-verbose
indicates that xmodmap should print logging
information as it parses its input.
-quiet
turns off the verbose logging. This is the
default.
-n
indicates that xmodmap should not change the
mappings, but should display what it would do, as
make(1) does when given this option.
-e expression
specifies an expression to be executed. Any number
of expressions may be specified from the command
line.
-pm
indicates that the current modifier map should be
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XMODMAP(1) XMODMAP(1)
printed on the standard output.
-pk
indicates that the current keymap table should be
printed on the standard output.
-pp
indicates that the current pointer map should be
printed on the standard output.
-
a lone dash means that the standard input should be
used as the input file.
The filename specifies a file containing xmodmap
expressions to be executed. This file is usually kept
in the user's home directory with a name like
.xmodmaprc.
EXPRESSION GRAMMAR
The xmodmap program reads a list of expressions and
parses them all before attempting to execute any of
them. This makes it possible to refer to keysyms that
are being redefined in a natural way without having to
worry as much about name conflicts.
keycode NUMBER = KEYSYMNAME ...
The list of keysyms is assigned to the indicated
keycode (which may be specified in decimal, hex or
octal and can be determined by running the xev
program in the examples directory). Usually only
one keysym is assigned to a given code.
keysym KEYSYMNAME = KEYSYMNAME ...
The KEYSYMNAME on the left hand side is looked up
to find its current keycode and the line is
replaced with the appropriate keycode expression.
Note that if you have the same keysym bound to
multiple keys, this might not work.
clear MODIFIERNAME
Removes all entries in the modifier map for the
given modifier, where valid names are: Shift,
Lock, Control, Mod1, Mod2, Mod3, Mod4 and Mod5
(case does not matter in modifier names, although
it does matter for all other names). For example,
clear Lock will remove all keys that were bound to
the shift lock modifier.
add MODIFIERNAME = KEYSYMNAME ...
Adds the given keysyms to the indicated modifier
map. The keysym names are evaluated after all
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input expressions are read to make it easy to write
expressions to swap keys (see the Examples
section).
remove MODIFIERNAME = KEYSYMNAME ...
Removes the given keysyms from the indicated
modifier map. Unlike add, the keysym names are
evaluated as the line is read in. This allows you
to remove keys from a modifier without having to
worry about whether or not they have been
reassigned.
pointer = default
Sets the pointer map back to its default settings
(e.g., button 1 generates a code of 1, button 2
generates a 2).
pointer = NUMBER ...
Sets the pointer map to contain the indicated
button codes. The list always starts with the
first physical button.
Lines that begin with an exclamation point (!) are
taken as comments.
If you want to change the binding of a modifier key,
you must also remove it from the appropriate modifier
map.
EXAMPLES
Many pointers are designed such that the first button
is pressed using the index finger of the right hand.
People who are left-handed frequently find it more
comfortable to reverse the button codes that get
generated so that the primary button is pressed using
the index finger of the left hand. This could be done
on a 3 button pointer as follows:
% xmodmap -e "pointer = 3 2 1"
Many editor applications support the notion of META
keys (similar to CTRL keys except that META is held
down instead of CTRL). However, some servers do not
have a META keysym in the default keymap table, so one
needs to be added by hand. The following command will
attach META to the multilanguage key (sometimes labeled
COMPOSE CHARACTER). It also takes advantage of the
fact that applications that need a META key simply need
to get the keycode and do not require the keysym to be
in the first column of the keymap table. This means
that applications that are looking for a multi_key
(including the default modifier map) would not notice
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any change.
% keysym Multi_key = Multi_key Meta_L
One of the more simple, yet convenient, uses of xmodmap
is to set the keyboard's rubout key to generate an
alternate keysym. This frequently involves exchanging
BACKSPACE with DELETE to be more comfortable to the
user. If the ttyModes resource in xterm is set as
well, all terminal emulator windows will use the same
key for erasing characters:
% xmodmap -e "keysym BackSpace = Delete"
% echo "XTerm*ttyModes: erase ^?" | xrdb -merge
Some keyboards do not automatically generate less than
and greater than characters when the comma and period
keys are shifted. This can be remedied with xmodmap by
resetting the bindings for the comma and period with
the following scripts:
!
! make shift-, be < and shift-. be >
!
keysym comma = comma less
keysym period = period greater
One of the more irritating differences between
keyboards is the location of the <CTRL> and <SHIFT
LOCK> keys. A common use of xmodmap is to swap these
two keys:
!
! Swap Caps_Lock and Control_L
!
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
remove Control = Control_L
keysym Control_L = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Control_L
add Lock = Caps_Lock
add Control = Control_L
The keycode command is useful for assigning the same
keysym to multiple keycodes. Although unportable, it
also makes it possible to write scripts that can reset
the keyboard to a known state. The following script
sets the <BACKSPACE> key to generate <DELETE> (as shown
above), flushes all existing CAPSLOCK bindings, makes
the <CAPSLOCK> key a <CTRL> key, makes <F5> generate
<ESCAPE>, and makes <BREAK/RESET> be a <SHIFT LOCK>.
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XMODMAP(1) XMODMAP(1)
!
! On the HP, the following keycodes have key caps
as listed:
!
! 101 Backspace
! 55 Caps
! 14 Ctrl
! 15 Break/Reset
! 86 Stop
! 89 F5
!
keycode 101 = Delete
keycode 55 = Control_R
clear Lock
add Control = Control_R
keycode 89 = Escape
keycode 15 = Caps_Lock
add Lock = Caps_Lock
ENVIRONMENT
DISPLAY
To get default host and display number.
BUGS
Every time a keycode expression is evaluated, the
server generates a MappingNotify event on every client.
This can cause some thrashing. All the changes should
be batched together and done at once. Clients that
receive keyboard input and ignore MappingNotify events
will not notice any changes made to keyboard mappings.
xmodmap should generate add and remove expressions
automatically whenever a keycode already bound to a
modifier is changed.
There should be a way to have the remove expression
accept keycodes as well as keysyms for those times when
you really mess up your mappings.
AUTHOR
Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium, rewritten from an
original by David Rosenthal, Sun Microsystems
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