Ubuntu – Configure keyboard shortcuts to CapsLock and Shift + CapsLock in 18.04 Bionic Beaver

18.04gnomeinput-languagekeyboard-layoutshortcut-keys

I want to configure CapsLock to switch always to the English keyboard layout (input source), while Shift+CapsLock switches always to Russian [18.04]

I've been using the setup described in the title successfully on Linux Mint 15, based on Cinnamon and Ubuntu 16.04.

I just went to keyboard configuration and set up combinations for each keyboard layout (input source).

I've migrated to Ubuntu 18.04 Desktop via a clean install and discovered that I can't do the same. I was gonna use this solution, but in 18.04 the CapsLock key can't be used as a hotkey:

Add Custom Shortcut window

In this dialog, the CapsLock key either does nothing or reveals the Cancel button. The Save button becomes visible only when I press a combination of a modifier and a character key.

So how do I configure CapsLock to switch to English (regardless of how many times it's pressed) and Shift+CapsLock to switch to Russian?

PS: Note that gnome-tweaks is irrelevant here because it has no per-language configuration options.

Best Answer

Install Gnome Tweaks:
```
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks
```
Run Gnome Tweaks: Press the Super (aka Windows) key, type Tweaks, press Enter.
Go to Keyboard & Mouse section in the left list.
Click the Additional Layout Options button in the main area on the right.
Expand the Caps Lock Behavior section.
Select Make Caps Lock an additional Menu key. This seems to be the only option available to expose Caps Lock as a regular, non-modifier, unused key.
Close both windows.

You can now use Caps Lock in hot keys – both standalone and with modifiers.

As for switching to a specific keyboard layout, the gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources current 0 option is deprecated and ignored.

This command works:

gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell --object-path /org/gnome/Shell --method org.gnome.Shell.Eval "imports.ui.status.keyboard.getInputSourceManager().inputSources[0].activate()"

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – Switch to specific keyboard layout using Ctrl+Shift+Num

If you are using Ubuntu you can set the default "Keyboard Layout" settings to change between keyboard layouts. However you cannot use the keyboard shortcuts you have listed. I do not know the way to do that.

If you open the system settings menu navigate to keyboard layout. Once open you will see your current keyboard layouts. If you click options and select "Key(s) to change layout, you can select which combo to change the layout. Some of the combos are

Alt+Caps Lock

Alt+Ctrl

Alt+Shift

Both Alt keys together, etc.

However thers is no way to set your own custom shortcuts. I attempted to see if there was possible a terminal code but there is no manual entry for Keyboard Layout settings, such as there is for other programs like Firefox: man firefoxIf there were you could easy create a custom key combo to run the command depending on which layout you want.

Additionally there is no indicator of which layout you've switched too and the only way to check is to type something. But it does seem to go in order of the way the layouts are listed.

Screen shot of the keyboard layout options menu

I hope that helps you.

Ubuntu – Modeless/stateless layout language switching with Caps Lock, again (18.04 LTS Bionic Beaver)

In Ubuntu 18.04, by default there is a option to choose Caps_Lock and Shift+Caps_Lock to achieve the behavior we are looking for, is in gnome-tweaks. But this is not working and could not get the reason why.

I could manage to achieve this behavior by the below workaround.

See this link for a 20Sec Video. https://imgur.com/QNdrVqa

first check the below commands in terminal whether they are changing the input language.

gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell --object-path /org/gnome/Shell --method org.gnome.Shell.Eval "imports.ui.status.keyboard.getInputSourceManager().inputSources[1].activate()"

and

gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell --object-path /org/gnome/Shell --method org.gnome.Shell.Eval "imports.ui.status.keyboard.getInputSourceManager().inputSources[0].activate()"

well, they are working.

we need to bind these commands to key presses of Caps_Lock and Shift+Caps_Lock

can achieve this with xbindkeys if xbindkeys is not yet installed install it by sudo apt install xbindkeys

create a file .xbindkeysrc in $HOME folder
touch ~/.xbindkeysrc
to know the keycode/id what ever it is called
run xbindkeys --key once the white box appears press the Caps_Lock button, do it for Shift button also and copy the keycodes/ids as show below

this step is Optional.. Disable the Caps Lock. See below gif. If caps lock is not disabled.. when you hit the key multiple times it will toggle while you try to change the language. I have Disabled it. but it is based on your interest.

Open the file .xbindkeysrc
gedit ~/.xbindkeysrc and edit the file like below based on the results of above steps

Change the values in below content according to the results you got in step 2 above. Content:

"gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell --object-path /org/gnome/Shell --method org.gnome.Shell.Eval "imports.ui.status.keyboard.getInputSourceManager().inputSources[0].activate()""
m:0x10 + c:66

"gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell --object-path /org/gnome/Shell --method org.gnome.Shell.Eval "imports.ui.status.keyboard.getInputSourceManager().inputSources[1].activate()""
Shift+Mod2 + Shift_L+m:0x10 + c:66

Save the file, Close & Reboot..

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – Switch to specific keyboard layout using Ctrl+Shift+Num

Ubuntu – Modeless/stateless layout language switching with Caps Lock, again (18.04 LTS Bionic Beaver)

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