Remapping caps lock

Overview

Print current modifiers with the xmodmap tool:

xmodmap:  up to 4 keys per modifier, (keycodes in parentheses):

shift       Shift_L (0x32),  Shift_R (0x3e)
lock        Caps_Lock (0x42)
control     Control_L (0x25),  Control_R (0x69)
mod1        Alt_L (0x40),  Meta_L (0xcd)
mod2        Num_Lock (0x4d)
mod3      
mod4        Super_L (0x85),  Super_R (0x86),  Super_L (0xce),  Hyper_L (0xcf)
mod5        ISO_Level3_Shift (0x5c),  Mode_switch (0xcb)

To disable caps lock enitrely:

$ xmodmap -e "clear Lock"

Using an .Xmodmap file

Some configurations require multiple commands to xmodmap. To make this easier we can define a file for xmodmap to read each time you log into your OS.

For example, let's make hyper available to us by mapping it to the now-available caps lock key.

Add the following to a file at ~/.Xmodmap :

! First, Unmap capslock
clear Lock

! `66` is the code sent from the keyboard to the OS by the actual `caps lock` key

! Next, Label `caps lock` key as `Hyper`
keycode 66 = Hyper_L

! Leave mod4 as Super *only*
remove mod4 = Hyper_L

! Set mod3 to `caps lock` = `Hyper` key
add mod3 = Hyper_L

Execute with $ xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap, then check the current state of the modifiers:

shift       Shift_L (0x32),  Shift_R (0x3e)
lock                                           <<< Good, nothing assigned!
control     Control_L (0x25),  Control_R (0x69)
mod1        Alt_L (0x40),  Meta_L (0xcd)
mod2        Num_Lock (0x4d)
mod3        Hyper_L (0x42),  Hyper_L (0xcf)    <<< Success!
mod4        Super_L (0x85),  Super_R (0x86),  Super_L (0xce)
mod5        ISO_Level3_Shift (0x5c),  Mode_switch (0xcb)

Hooray! More chords for Emacs fun.

Alternate ways of enabling Caps Lock

Toggle caps by pressing both left and right shift keys:

$ setxkbmap -option "shift:both_capslock"



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