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Idea #7863: Ability to remap individual keys through GUI

Written by joshedmonds the 30 Apr 08 at 07:20. Category: Accessibility. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
jsnow wrote on the 15 Mar 08 at 01:39:

"It would be nice if System->Preferences->Keyboard had the ability to arbitrarily remap keys, not just provide a list of standard layouts and options.

I've been known at times to swap backspace with semicolon, for instance; it would be nice to be able to do things like that without resorting to editing configuration files manually."

Taken from posts to idea 2534. Please note this is not a duplicate, 2534 is a specific one-to-one change, this is more general idea.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #7863
Written by joshedmonds the 30 Apr 08 at 07:20.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #7863 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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InfoSec812 wrote on the 30 Apr 08 at 14:14
As long as you don't show this in the default screen and instead as an "Advanced Options" button, I could see this as being a good idea.

Ansible wrote on the 1 May 08 at 20:47
Personally I'd like to be able to use keys as mouse buttons. One of the ways I fight hand and finger fatigue on windows is to map F2 to the left mouse button and use a trackball. On the windows side I used autohotkey for this; I haven't been able to find a good equivalent under linux that allows key-mousebuton mapping.

Why not take it further and allow game controllers and other inputs to control standard mouse and keyboard functions?


owne wrote on the 11 May 08 at 07:57
Getting my own keyboard layout to work has been so far biggest obstacle to use linux at all. GUI for easy custom keyboard layout creator embedded to keyboard settings is in top of my wishlist. I might be wrong but is it not possible to add any unicode character to layout with XKB, for example μ (mu) for easy typing of abbreviation of micrometer? I belive here ability would certainly create usage.

In windows one can change typing layout but keep shortcuts as they were. This would also be most useful but might been harder to do.

frogitts wrote on the 18 May 08 at 14:59
This needs to be done, in my opinion. I managed to create my own custom keyboard layout, but it was scary. And broke things a couple times. Even now, sometimes the keyboard layout will revert to the default of the category rather than my custom layout (which is a modified version of the default of the category).

Also, being able to map usb devices + mice to key presses would be awesome. There is a project that's trying to do this (joy2key). But I haven't been able to get it working. And JoytoKey, the Windows equivalent, will only work within the Wine window within which it's running, making it pointless.

If the point of Linux is the amazing ability to customize, this is absolutely necessary to keep that image.

But yes, it should definitely be an "advanced option"

motin wrote on the 8 Dec 08 at 11:36
At least we can mention the following in the Help file or similar:
xkeycaps - A GUI front end to xmodmap

BillCurly335 wrote on the 25 Mar 10 at 14:23
This is an excellent idea, as I think that you should be able to remap your keys without needing to use xmodmap. For some people, like myself, remapping is vital. My + and 'L' keys were ripped out by our cat as it walked across the table, and every time I turn on my computer I have to go to the terminal and reconfigure my setup.

This would be an excellent implementation into the Keyboard preferences.

phubert28 wrote on the 19 May 10 at 06:10
I have a Logitech Illuminated keyboard

Logitech's SetPoint software under Windows allowed me to re-map the F1-F9 keys (and more).

I had F1-F7 set to
Ctrl-U
Ctrl-I
Ctrl-B
Ctrl-C
Ctrl-V
Ctrl-X
Shift-Delete
and F9 set to Ctrl-A

This saved considerable typing!

THIS is the sort of remapping I'd like to see!

ametedinov wrote on the 6 Jul 10 at 18:28
I have been searching for months and cannot find a good gui software for remapping. I hope this gets implemented by version 11.04

dfarrell07 wrote on the 7 Sep 10 at 19:18
^^ no doubt

448191 wrote on the 23 Nov 10 at 13:48
Thumbs up. I'm currently working on a Logitech K300, and they just made up a layout that is a combo of US-International and UK.

A simple utility to fix the diff with US-International would be great.

beruic wrote on the 28 Dec 11 at 02:30
For the moderators: I accidentally marked this one as implemented. Sorry :(

Darwin Survivor (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 28 Dec 11 at 04:04
@beruic thanks for the comment, you wouldn't believe how many people just leave us wondering.


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