odd caps lock behavior
odd caps lock behavior
- Subject: odd caps lock behavior
- From: "Richard E. Silverman" <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 03:15:40 -0500
Apologies in advance if this is an FAQ, but the posted FAQ links I've seen
require authorization, and the FAQ seems not to be otherwise available yet.
I'd like to swap the caps lock and control keys, as Unix geeks commonly do.
The usual xmodmap incantation for this is:
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
remove Control = Control_L
keysym Control_L = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Control_L
add Lock = Caps_Lock
add Control = Control_L
This works with Apple's X11 software, in the sense that the X server reassigns
the functions -- but it doesn't end up having the desired effect, because of
an odd fact. If I run xev, I find that when I simply press and hold the caps
lock key, the X server receives *2* events in immediate succession (with the
same timestamp, in fact): a key press, and key release (which hasn't actually
happened). When I actually, physically release the key, *no* event is posted.
Somehow, despite this fact, caps locks works properly when mapped onto the
usual key. When moved elsewhere, however (as by the foregoing xmodmap
script), things behave as you'd expect given the event sequence above: in
effect you have no caps lock, because the X server believes you always release
it immediately, and it's never "held down."
Comments, bug acknowledgement, etc. appreciated.
As an aside -- I've continually puzzled as to why makers of PC-based X servers
seem to screw this up so often. This remapping works universally on
Unix-based X servers & hardware X terminals. And yet I can remember three
different PC X servers that made weird assumptions and restricted the ability
to remap modifier keys. The response from tech support in two cases was
incomprehension that anyone could want to do such a thing, and refusal to
categorize it as a bug, let alone fix it.
My response was to stop using their products...
--
Richard Silverman
email@hidden
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