how to use klfc to generate a valid ~/.Xmodmap

[ninrod]

hi @noctuid

I've switched from mac to linux (thinkpad t460s) and I'm using bspwm with sxhkd.
I had some trouble getting xmodmap to work. Actually a lot of trouble.

specifically, I could not swap the windows key and the left alt key.

could klfc help me in this case?

here's my full xmodmap:

! -*- mode: xmodmap -*-

! capslock now is escape
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Escape
add Lock = Caps_Lock

! Right Alt is Right Control
remove Mod1 = Alt_R
keycode 108 = Control_R
add Control = Control_R

[noctuid]

Klfc doesn't generate an Xmodmap config but an XKB one (XKB is less buggy and can do more; xmodmap is technically deprecated I think, but people still use it anyway in part because the configuration format is a lot less convoluted). I'd try klfc. The documentation is very good. See singletonKeys. You could use ...[ "Win_L", "Alt" ], [ "Alt_L", "Win" ]... to swap win and alt.

[ninrod]

@noctuid, what a breakthrough.

my god his program is absolutely amazing! It's a hidden gem. Oh the pains I went through trying to properly setup my keyboard configuration (I'm a native portuguese speaker using an US keyboard on thinkpad T460s). Using klfc was just a breeze.

All I had to do was:

1. create the simplest build script:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
SCRIPTPATH=$(cd $(dirname $0); pwd -P) && cd $SCRIPTPATH
DIST=dist
rm -rf $DIST
mkdir -p $DIST
klfc --from-json qwerty.json deadkeys.json --xkb $DIST

2. grab the plain qwerty.json from the examples and strip the keys I wanted to change

3. create a deadkeys.json where I've put my portuguese and customization stuff

{
  "singletonKeys": [
    ["Alt_R", "Control"],
    ["CapsLock", "Escape"]
  ],
  "shiftlevels": [ "None", "Shift" ],
  "keys": [
    { "pos": "~", "letters": [ "grave", "tilde" ] },
    { "pos": "6", "letters": [ "6", "circumflex" ] },
    { "pos": "'", "letters": [ "acute", "\"" ] }
  ]
}

4. run build.sh

5. run the generated install script and call it day.

AMAZING!!!

thanks a TON for this recommendation.