====== XmodMap ======
All the funny things you can do using the ''xmodmap'' command.
===== Mapping Umlauts =====
Though I'm german, I prefer US-layout for my keyboards. This is mainly for two reasons:
* intensive use of Alt_R leads to worn out joints of my right hand's thumb
* umlauts weren't working for me in the past anyway.
Since I fixed my earlier problems using umlauts, I now want to at least be able to type them,
still using my preferred keyboard layout. This is how I made that possible:
Using ''xev'', I had to find out some things:
* the Alt_R key has the keycode 113
* keycodes for a, o, u and s are 38, 32, 30 and 39
The nice command ''dumpkeys -l'' shows you the currently available keysyms. It showed me that:
* the umlauted a, o and u are being called ''adiaeresis'', ''odiaeresis'' and ''udiaeresis'' and
* the sharp s is being called ''ssharp''.
Now let's do it:
a first entry in //.Xmodmap//:
keycode 113 = Mode_switch Alt_R
sets the functionality of the Alt_R key (keycode 113) to ''Mode_switch'' by default. When being used
shifted, the old functionality is restored.
First a short usage of the ''keycode'' statement of //.Xmodmap//:
keycode CODE = KEY_NORMAL KEY_SHIFTED KEY_MODIFIED KEY_SHIFTED_MODIFIED
placeholder naming should be self-explanatory.
Putting the above together, we can remap a, o, u and s:
keycode 38 = a A adiaeresis Adiaeresis
keycode 32 = o O odiaeresis Odiaeresis
keycode 30 = u U udiaeresis Udiaeresis
keycode 39 = s S ssharp
that's it.
===== Home Made Swapcaps =====
Of course, also Caps_lock and Control can be swapped using ''xmodmap'':
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
remove Control = Control_R
keysym Control_R = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Control_R
add Lock = Caps_Lock
add Control = Control_R
the special feature of this configuration is that Caps_lock is actually swapped
with Control_R, so the original function of the left Ctrl-button is sustained.
yes, I really have no need for Caps_lock