Ubuntu – Reliable keyboard layout switching with Caps Lock

keyboardkeyboard-layoutshortcut-keys

In my Ubuntu 15.10 I set Caps Lock to switch keyboard layouts in System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Typing > Switch to next source.

But every time I press Caps Lock it still capitalize keyboard for a split second (and Caps Lock LED blinks), then it back to non-capitalized keyboard and finally switch layout. But if I press any key after pressing Caps Lock and before layout switching, the layout doesn't switches at all, and moreover my keyboard remain capitalized.

I very often switch keyboard between English and my native language, and typing very fast, so almost every third switching I capitalize keyboard instead of switching layout. It's very big trouble for me. Hot to fix it?

UPD (18 Sep 2016). The bug is still exists in 16.04.

Best Answer

Starting from Ubuntu 13.10, Unity/Gnome moved the keyboard layout changing control from X server to higher level tool: unity-settings-daemon/gnome-settings-daemon plugin to add support for multiple X input methods. So the layout change function in X is just disabled.

Same for Caps key, X interprets it as capital lock. When you assign it to layout changing in Unity settings. It will do both as X is not aware of that. So you have to disable caps function in X.

  • The workaround explained in bug report mentioned by Alex.O seem to do that. Which is the same as running:

    gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options "['caps:none']"

    caps:none means Caps Lock is disabled, to see all Caps key X supported functions, try:

    more /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/xorg.lst | grep caps

  • To get default function back:

    gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options
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