How to remap CAPSLOCK to ESC in Linux Mint 12

Question

I would like to remap the CAPSLOCK key to ESC as this is easier to use in Vim. I can make it in Ubuntu 11.04 as there's an option for this in Keyborad configuration. But recently I switched to use Linux Mint and found that there's no such option.

I don't know whether it is the gnome3 that makes this happen, as there are only some basic features to customize.

Hoping someone can help me remap the key, thanks in advance.

found this article, but the options are not found in Mint 12

score 29 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 24 '12 at 19:46

29

Open the menu
Open System Tools → System Settings
Select Keyboard Layouts
Select Options
Select Caps Lock key behavior
Select Make Caps Lock an additional ESC
Close all of the windows and have yourself a nice cuppa, you are done!

edited Oct 24 '12 at 19:46

Oliver Salzburg

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answered Oct 24 '12 at 19:19

Kiltguy

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Fair warning, at least in 15+ it's now under Internationalization for some confounded reason. This is still valid as it's under keyboard layouts, but you'll find that under internationalization. – baweaver May 24 '14 at 18:21
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In 17.1 (Cinnamon) it is under Keyboard in the settings. Or you can just type "keyboard" from the Menu to find it. Once there, there is a Keyboard Layouts tab and the steps are the same from there. – still_dreaming_1 Jun 18 '15 at 16:44
I think with this every caps lock hit will also toggles the caps along with ESC but we want to swap the keys. – prasad Dec 21 '16 at 23:39

score 7 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 06 '17 at 13:01

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Put this in your ~/.Xmodmap file:

remove Lock = Caps_Lock
remove Control = Escape
keysym Escape = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Escape
add Lock = Caps_Lock
add Control = Escape

and then run xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap to make the changes effective immediately. Otherwise the next time you log in the changes will be effective.

edited Nov 06 '17 at 13:01

Vomit IT - Chunky Mess Style

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answered Jun 03 '12 at 08:47

dotancohen

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 05 '12 at 17:47

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You can use xmodmap for this. Instructions are for example on the Vim Wiki.

answered Mar 05 '12 at 17:47

Lars Kotthoff

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thanks, though I don't really want to xmodmap to swap but this is the way to solve the question. – imcoddy Mar 11 '12 at 02:10

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 24 '13 at 01:51

2

I was looking and looking for this too in Mint 15, and I found it.

System Settings
Regional Settings
Layouts tab
Options Button
Ctrl key postion

answered Oct 24 '13 at 01:51

Adam Jelinek

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How to remap CAPSLOCK to ESC in Linux Mint 12

4 Answers4