Re: [tlug] Ubtuntu 8.04 -> 8.10 Upgrade Pain

[Curt Sampson <cjs@example.com>]

On 2009-01-04 05:59 +0900 (Sun), Ian Barwick wrote:

> ...and one of the
> annoyances is that while it's possible to map the caps lock key to
> CTRL in the Keyboard preferences utility, the setting isn't remembered
> unless the Keyboard preferences utility is started. Putting
> 
>     Option      "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"
> 
> in xorg.conf doesn't seem to help here either :(.

No, don't change xorg.conf or use whatever weird preferences utilities
they give you, just use xmodmap and you can remap your keyboard to your
heart's content. If you're running gnome, just create a .xmodmaprc
file in your home dir with the appropriate commands, and the next time
you log in you should be asked if you want to use it. Check "don't ask
me again," click "yes," and you're set. Otherwise you'll have to use
whatever startup-specific stuff your session or window manager needs to
feed the file into xmodmap.

Some hints:

    ! Caps lock/ctrl flip
    remove Lock = Caps_Lock
    remove Control = Control_L
    keycode 37 = Caps_Lock
    keycode 66 = Control_L
    add Lock = Caps_Lock
    add Control = Control_L

    ! Reverse ESC and backquote/tilde
    keycode 9 = quoteleft asciitilde
    keycode 49 = Escape

> I'm not sure if it's an Ubuntu thing or an Xorg thing, but I was
> somewhat bemused to find an effectively empty xorg.conf file.

Uh oh. Does this mean you *can* put stuff in it, but don't need to, or
that you aren't able to? In particular, I would be very unhappy without
my middle-button-turns-mouse-into-wheel setting.

cjs
-- 
Curt Sampson       <cjs@example.com>        +81 90 7737 2974
           Functional programming in all senses of the word:
                   http://www.starling-software.com