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Matching Up Hotkeys for OS X and Linux GUIs?

Posted by timothy on from the bringing-on-the-singularity dept.

I use a MacBook Pro for my main machine, but also have a Ubuntu desktop. I get irritated about switching between command-oriented hotkeys and ctrl-oriented hotkeys (cmd-a on OSX = ctrl-a on Linux/windows). I've looked over a lot of forums and have found that Gnome doesn't seem capable of changing hotkeys, while xfce and fluxbox can. The ideal solution would be a way to change system keys in X, or at the system level — that way I can keep compiz. Does anyone have any ideas or know a trick to change system hot keys?

83 comments

  1. Pavlovian training by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Superglue a tack onto the control button of your mac. The negative reinforcement will help you learn.

    1. Re:Pavlovian training by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Superglue a tack onto the control button of your mac. The negative reinforcement will help you learn.

      This is not negative reinforcement! It's called positive punishment.

    2. Re:Pavlovian training by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Superglue a tack onto the control button of your mac. The negative reinforcement will help you learn.

      It's not Pavlovian training! You're describing operant conditioning (see Skinner) and the term you're looking for is positive punishment this is not a negative reinforcement.

    3. Re:Pavlovian training by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I reserve all right to mangle any psychological term for my own amusement and to the bemusement of any student of psychology.

  2. What? by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I've looked over a lot of forums and have found that Gnome doesn't seem capable of changing hotkeys

    You mean System>>Preferences>>Keyboard Shortcuts doesn't really exist? Or am I misunderstanding?

    1. Re:What? by mbeans · · Score: 5, Informative

      IIRC, compiz has its own keybindings that override Gnome's.

      Install the ccsm package for a gui to configure it.

      --
      "It was a billion times better than cobol, but still really retarded." -AC
    2. Re:What? by Xelrach · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm looking at that right now and there aren't options for changing: copy, cut, paste, select all, which are the sorts of things I think he wants to change.

    3. Re:What? by rrp · · Score: 4, Informative

      even easier: in the Keyboard section (of the Keyboard & Mouse system pref) click the modifier keys button (on the lower left). There you can change the command key to be the control key. And switch other ones around too.

    4. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      system preferences -> keyboard and mouse -> keyboard -> modifier keys

    5. Re:What? by tiananmen+tank+man · · Score: 1

      All he has to do is edit/create a .Xmodmap file with the correct contents in his home directory

  3. Surely you jest by Frequency+Domain · · Score: 2, Informative
    System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts

    Go wild.

  4. remap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    you can remap your keys to anything you want
    works great for the lame "media keys" on all those $80 keyboards out there
    i havent done it in forever but you might want to read the man pages for 'xev' and 'xmodmap'

    1. Re:remap by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      works great for the lame "media keys" on all those $80 keyboards out there

      If I ever spent so much on a keyboard, it better be a really good one!

      --
      Circumcision is child abuse.
  5. xmodmap by Improv · · Score: 5, Informative

    man xmodmap

    --
    For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
    1. Re:xmodmap by pbaer · · Score: 1

      You want xmodmap. I used it myself to change capslock to 0, along with some other minor changes. Run it to create a copy of your current keyboard layout. Back that up. Then change it so the keys do what you want. Not that difficult, should take you maybe 30mins.

      --
      There are 11 types of people, those who know unary and those who don't.
  6. Gnome (metacity, compiz), fluxbox, xbindkeys by SlashdotOgre · · Score: 2, Informative

    Well I have no experience with OSX, but as for Gnome, assuming you're using Metacity as your compositing window manager (and most distros do), you can set a ton of key bindings through gconf-editor. To access it, make sure gconf-editor is installed, then as the user running the WM (hopefully a non-privileged user), run gconf-editor. From there navigate to /->apps->metacity and bind away. You can also assign commands to key combos as well. If you're using Compiz, then install ccsm and keybindings are set under General Options. If on the odd chance you're using fluxbox, the keys are set in ~/.fluxbox/keys (hint: Mod1 == Alt).

    You may want to look into xbindkeys, an old app that is windows manager agnostic.The downside is whatever WM you use will also have its keybindings (not sure who wins out if the same key is bound twice). It's keys are specified in ~/.xbindkeysrc and it runs as a daemon.

    --
    Sadly, PS/2 was yet another victim of USB, which doesn't care what you plug into it, the electrical slut.
    1. Re:Gnome (metacity, compiz), fluxbox, xbindkeys by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      Under OS X, all of the non-character text editing keystrokes can be remapped by making your own ~/Library/DefaultKeybindings.dict

      Here is an excellent demonstration.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    2. Re:Gnome (metacity, compiz), fluxbox, xbindkeys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      assuming you're using Metacity as your compositing window manager (and most distros do)

      I'm not sure why you're making such an assumption, given that he explicitly says in the summary which compositing window manager he's using, and it's not Metacity.

      (And which exactly are these "most distros" you're talking about? Ubuntu certainly doesn't use Metacity as its compositing window manager.)

  7. xmodmap(1) by andy753421 · · Score: 1

    Take a look at the examples at the bottom of the man page.

  8. Why do posts like this get approved? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Both OS do this, and it's very easy to figure out.

    If you can't find the flexibility you require built into the OS, at least on OSX I know their is another solution:
    http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/

  9. right keyboard by gfldex · · Score: 1

    If you want to use a mac keyboard on your desktop you should buy one.

  10. first they need to fix a few things. by DragonTHC · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry, but "delete" != "backspace", cmd a dos shell, and "option" belongs on a toolbar.

    that being said, I believe KDE has the ability to change global hotkeys. Maybe you should try a distro that uses it, or install it on your ubuntu. To my knowledge, compiz-fusion also supports hotkey remapping.

    Though, you could quite simply, just buy a mac keyboard for your desktop. That would probably make the most sense of all! Though not the cheapest sense.

    --
    They're using their grammar skills there.
    1. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by pushing-robot · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm sorry, but "delete" != "backspace", cmd a dos shell, and "option" belongs on a toolbar.

      For what it's worth, the apple/command key predates not only the dos shell, but MS-DOS itself. Same with the alt/option key. And "backspace" is a function on a typewriter.

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    2. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by m1ss1ontomars2k4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This is certainly one of the stupidest comments I've ever had the misfortune to read on Slashdot.

      First of all, I do have to admit that you are correct in stating "delete" != "backspace". However, you're using it to support the standard Windows-type keyboard, when in fact this little fact supports the Mac label. Backspace is supposed to move your current typing position one space backwards, not delete the character to the left of the cursor. Thus, "delete" is actually more appropriate. Some Mac-labeled keyboards are labeled with a symbol next to the delete keys explaining whether they are forward or backward delete.

      Cmd is a DOS shell, but only in later Windows (probably the NT family). Otherwise, command is the DOS shell. Also, you'll note that "command" or that funky symbol is the actual label for the key, not "cmd". At any rate, command makes far more sense than control as a shortcut. I want to issue the command with a code of q, x, c, v, or w. So I type command q, command x, etc. What the hell does control mean? I want to control the letter q? I want to control the command indicated by the letter q?

      As for the option key, that makes sense as well--pressing it will give you different options based on what other stuff you pressed. Right clicking on an application in the Dock will allow you to quite the application, but if you press option, you get the option to force quit instead. Besides, the option key is also labeled with alt, which, by the way, doesn't make sense when used without control. At least option makes sense without command.

      Also, buying a Mac keyboard for his desktop will not solve the problem; in fact that will only make things worse. The command key is the Windows key, but the relative position of that key on a Mac keyboard is switched as compared to a Windows keyboard. So he would try to type alt, but would get Winkey instead. Also, that wouldn't enable him to use command shortcuts in Linux, which was the entire point of the question.

      That said, I use a Windows keyboard with Mac OS X. I remapped the alt key to the command key and the Windows key to the option key. It works quite nicely.

    3. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Mr+Z · · Score: 4, Informative

      If you're going to trot out the Apple // line, you may as well know its history.

      For what it's worth, the apple/command key predates not only the dos shell, but MS-DOS itself.

      Not true. These were added on the Apple //e, which antedates MS-DOS. Take a look at the Apple ][+ as compared to the Apple //e.

      Same with the alt/option key.

      The closed-Apple key didn't become Option until the Apple IIgs. (The IIgs unit.) They weren't even on the Apple //e Enhanced. The familiar Macintosh Cmd and Option keys, though debuted with the original model, though there was no control key. But, then, a Mac isn't an Apple //, is it?

      And "backspace" is a function on a typewriter.

      So is "return" (as opposed to "enter"). Your point was again? Now get off my lawn.

      --Joe

      (I grew up with these machines, and I remember their sometimes frustrating differences well.)

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    4. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      No, cmd.exe is the Windows NT shell. WinNT and its offspring are not built on MS-DOS, though they do provide versions of most of its commands. You're thinking of COMMAND.COM.

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    5. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      So is "return" (as opposed to "enter").

      Wait, I thought that Return was on the keyboard and Enter was on the numeric keypad? :)

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    6. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      Well, once Apple finally got a numeric keypad. On the PC, though, both have been named "enter" from the beginning.

      My point, of course, was that complaining about "backspace" being a typewriter function by citing "delete" as a better choice overlooks that "enter" is a better choice than "return" by similar reasoning.

      Someone just needs to hit RUN STOP-RESTORE on this whole thread. ;-)

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    7. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by ThrowAwaySociety · · Score: 1

      My point, of course, was that complaining about "backspace" being a typewriter function by citing "delete" as a better choice overlooks that "enter" is a better choice than "return" by similar reasoning.

      More than half the time I hit that key, it's to insert a carriage return/newline in a text document, not to confirm input. Since most people (especially mac users) don't use command lines these days, I'd say it's probably at least as appropriate to call it "return" as it is to call it "enter".

      Backspace, on the other hand, never does what its name suggests (on a computer.) Thats what the left-arrow key does.

    8. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by IntlHarvester · · Score: 1

      Just for the record, an IBM keyboard has a carriage return symbol on the Enter key.

      --
      Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
    9. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      For the word processor users of the world, it should just have a "paragraph" symbol on it. After all, in a word processor, you're only supposed to press that key at the end of each paragraph, when you're done entering the paragraph.

      And carriage returns? What carriage would this be? If you're editing your documents the old fashioned way--and I still use vim plenty--the key should be labeled "new line" or similar. But wouldn't most Mac users be entering text in a word-processor-like environment that provides line breaks in paragraphs automatically?

      Personally, I'm not arguing what the label should be. All the labels suck for one reason or another. (Why doesn't the "return" key return me to the previously visited webpage? ;-) ) At least "delete" actually deletes somethings on modern Apples, as opposed to inserting that checkerboard character like it did on the Apple //es. (At least, in Applesoft BASIC. AppleWorks did the right thing of course.)

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    10. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by DragonTHC · · Score: 1

      technically it's more of a cr-lf symbol.

      think typewriter with a roll for paper. the carriage was either the whole paper roller mechanism, or more modernly, the daisy wheel/ball mechanism.

      The carriage return sent the typing position back to the left side at column 0.

      The lf stands for line-feed. That's pretty obvious. the roller moved the paper up to the next empty line.

      The enter is commonly used on computers since there's no paper roller on a screen and you are simply entering information into a stack or buffer, just like a calculator. Hence the numpad enter key.

      --
      They're using their grammar skills there.
    11. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      Well, once Apple finally got a numeric keypad.

      Well, it had one all along, but it was originally $99 extra :) And, the key on it wasn't called "enter"... it had some sort of Martian character on it! See this picture of the original Mac numeric keyboard.

      Someone just needs to hit RUN STOP-RESTORE on this whole thread. ;-)

      Sorry! I was just trying to be funny, not trying to start a flame war! :)

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    12. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by pizzach · · Score: 1

      At least "delete" actually deletes somethings on modern Apples, as opposed to inserting that checkerboard character like it did on the Apple //es.

      You mean inserting the delete character? It's a damn hard to display character, so I am impressed by the checkerboard interpretation. ;-)

      --
      Once you start despising the jerks, you become one.
    13. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by pushing-robot · · Score: 3, Informative

      The closed apple (command) and open apple (option) keys were on the Apple III keyboard. The Apple III was released in 1980, which does predate MS-DOS by a year.

      And my point was that "cmd" and "option" were associated with Apple long before they were a dos shell and a graphical menu. Even if the "option" key wasn't specifically labeled "option" until the Macintosh, it still predates any DOS use of "toolbars" that I'm aware of.

      Regarding "return" versus "enter", I agree with the other poster: "Return" has kept its function since the typewriter days. "Backspace" has not. The average user uses the "return" key to move down and return to the beginning of the line, not to enter a command. Conversely, the average user uses the "backspace" key to delete the last character (or some other object), not to back space, to perform a leftward space in order to type another character on top of the last character. In both cases Apple's label is more accurate than IBM's.

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    14. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      Indeed. For some reason I thought the Apple /// came out later than that. I remember those things. I used to write papers in /// Easy Pieces, and even played a bit with Pascal on it. I never got to play with Business BASIC, though I did see the demo. (Hastings Manufacturing, the piston ring manufacturer, had bought a bunch of these back in the day, and donated them to the public library and YMCA when they got rid of them. While I was in high school, I consulted for both, setting up the systems and the data disks for them.)

      As far as I'm concerned, as long as there's a key in that location that I can use to remove the character to the left of the cursor, I'm happy.

      Next up: The never ending confusion between the ASCII backspace (BS, character #8), the ASCII delete (DEL, #127), and the DEC VT-100 "Remove" escape sequence. :-)

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    15. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by pushing-robot · · Score: 1

      Next up: The never ending confusion between the ASCII backspace (BS, character #8), the ASCII delete (DEL, #127), and the DEC VT-100 "Remove" escape sequence. :-)

      Oh, don't get me started on that. If you ever decide to build your freeze-ray, take over the world, and with your iron fist implement a set of sane universal input/text standards — from keyboard scancodes to character encodings — look me up. I've got all my minion gear right here.

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    16. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      It's a deal!

      --
      Program Intellivision!
    17. Re:first they need to fix a few things. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if "backspacing over instead of deleting" should be the 'correct functionality' then it follows that "overtype over insert" should be the 'correct functionality'...

      after all, a computer really is a just a high priced typewriter, right?

      -- or not

      the average computer user has more prevalent need for a backspace to function as "backspace and delete". after all, the left arrow key is just two inches from your pinky and - might i add - equally as cumbersome to hit frequently with your pinky.

      so, why not evolve with the current usage and greatest need and just make it an option for those "super typing" types to enable as they see fit...

      just my $0.02
      you probably didn't agree.
      its alright. thanks anyway.
      - FJM

  11. Dumb question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I hate to say it, but RTFM. Same to slashdot editors who posted this.

    1. Re:Dumb question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, thumb tacks are the only solution. A painless software only solution will only lead to problems when this person uses some one else's computer.

    2. Re:Dumb question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stupid intent. Mac is Mac and PC is PC. Stop whining and get used to it. It's perfectly doable. Trying to bend Ubuntu/Gnome this way will cause you much more pain than getting used to a PC keyboard.

    3. Re:Dumb question by BrainInAJar · · Score: 1

      PC keyboard? I use UNIX layout you insensitive clod.

      Control is to the left of 'A' as God and Thompson intended.

  12. live with it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    sounds like you need to change the mac to bring it in line with everybody else, I drive a vintage car, the gear pattern and pedal arrangement is different to modern cars, ie; reverse is where 1st is normally found, but I have no problem driving it or switching it and a modern manual car.

    1. Re:live with it by Tokerat · · Score: 1

      If you're running X11 inside OS X, this becomes a problem when some windows behave differently than other and you're trying to navigate quickly.

      I always found this argument to be counter-intelligent. Of course you can "live with it", but you can get more done quicker and easier if you change it to suit your needs.

      Then again, I suppose this explains a lot about the mentality of the Windows crowd...

      --
      CAn'T CompreHend SARcaSm?
    2. Re:live with it by RiotingPacifist · · Score: 1

      And the gnome crowd, KISS means that the option hes looking for is in some gconf entry. IIRC when you add a new user to a kde system you are provided with a dialog that asks which base setup you want
      windows/mac/unix/linux and it then gives the basic window management and key binding to aproximate that system.

      --
      IranAir Flight 655 never forget!
  13. I go between KDE and OS X by Burz · · Score: 1

    Most of the existing shortcuts in KDE are re-assignable, and you can make the desktop more Mac-like than Gnome in some respects:

    For instance, You can create a Mac-like menu-bar at the top where your app menus display instead of separately in each app window.

  14. "/desktop/gnome/interface/gtk_key_theme" in gconf by Rozzin · · Score: 1

    Or you can edit your .gtkrc file.

    Unfortunately, there are only 2 canned keybinding-sets shipped with GTK: "Default" (which is Windowsy, these days) and "Emacs" (which makes things behave like the GNU tools (Emacs, Bash, etc.) traditionally behave.

    These canned sets are defined in /usr/share/themes/*/gtk-2.0-key/gtkrc; I think that, if you make a new directory (where the "*" is), and create your own `gtkrc' file under it, the that name becomes valid in GConf. You may be able to find a Mac-alike gtkrc file that someone else has already produced, now that you know what to look for.

    Though, actually: are the keybindings similar enough that you could just remap the "command" key so that it acts like "control"? Or does Mac OS use the "control" strokes for something else?

    --
    -rozzin.
  15. The compose key by tepples · · Score: 2, Informative

    "option" belongs on a toolbar.

    The Option key on Macs is closer to a compose key than anything else. It's how one enters the characters that are common in the numerous languages of Europe: press Option+e before a vowel to place the acute accent (e -> é) above it.

  16. Re:"/desktop/gnome/interface/gtk_key_theme" in gco by stuff-n-things · · Score: 1

    There are keybinding tools for OS X like doublecommand (http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/).

    However OS X uses control for control. That is, like Gnome, ctrl-c in a terminal is ctrl-c, and unlike gnome, cmd-c in a terminal is copy, whereas gnome has to use shift-ctrl-c (IIRC) or something other than ctrl-c like copy is in other apps.

  17. not many know it, but it's easy to set gnome keys by formal_entity · · Score: 5, Informative
    On gnome Ubuntu you can go to System::Preferences::Appearence::Interface and then you check "Editable menu shortcut keys". After that close the dialog and go to any GNOME application. Try for instance gedit (the "Text Editor" application in GNOME). Now what you do is that you open the File menu, then you hover above the Open menu item and you press CTRL-A or whatever. This instantly rebinds the "Open" menu item with CTRL-A and so on.

    It's a shame that GNOME had hidden this EXTREMELY useful functionality. GNOME was supposed to be easy and intuitive right? Yeah right :) ;)

    I've used this a lot to fix the keybindings in GNOME which is very much broken. For example, I want CTRL-G for "Go to line" in gedit and I want to be able to open new tabs with CTRL-T like I do in the browser (which is now setting the standard because I spend so much time in the browser so that's what my brain in wired up for).

  18. Wow... I'm amazed. by Shag · · Score: 1

    No one suggested just recompiling the Linux apps and running them under OS X? :)

    --
    Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
    1. Re:Wow... I'm amazed. by thegrassyknowl · · Score: 1

      I'm equally amazed that nobody suggested just dumping OSX and installing Ubuntu on your mac. ReFit is your friend. If you don't want to dual boot then just piss off the EFI partition and install Linux over the whole disk (not recommended because you won't be able to install firmware updates easily).

      OSX is lovely and shiny, but Unixy and all but they've hacked out just enough of the Unix-ness to make it annoying for hardcore (and seasoned) junkies.

      --
      I drink to make other people interesting!
    2. Re:Wow... I'm amazed. by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 1

      Or Even better, Linux and associated apps are open source. Change the source code in every program to catch the keystrokes and match what the mac does.

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
  19. Speaking of Compiz... by antdude · · Score: 1

    ... does anyone know how to have KDE v3.5.9's pager to work correctly with Compiz? I can see my programs in taskbar's pager's virtual desktop 1, but not in other three (have four virtual desktops). :(

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    1. Re:Speaking of Compiz... by GenP · · Score: 1

      You need special 3rd-party pager and taskbar widgets:
      http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=49484
      http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=46021

    2. Re:Speaking of Compiz... by antdude · · Score: 1

      Thanks. They seem to be old (last updated on 2006) though and people are reporting problems. :(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  20. firemacs by bcrowell · · Score: 1

    There's an add-on for firefox that adds emacs keybindings to firefox. It added too many of the emacs keybindings for my taste, but it was easy to deactivate the ones I didn't like.

    --
    Find free books.
    1. Re:firemacs by Jrabbit05 · · Score: 0

      Guess what, there's one that does Vi too. http://vimperator.mozdev.org/ I'm not taking sides, in fact, I use nano.

    2. Re:firemacs by jonadab · · Score: 1

      > There's an add-on for firefox that adds emacs keybindings to firefox.

      Except, it doesn't actually add Emacs functionality, so it's kind of worthless. Nobody uses Emacs for its default keybindings. (Indeed, a lot of us have made significant alterations to the key bindings in Emacs.) We use Emacs because we need software that does certain things, and the only choices are Gnu Emacs and XEmacs. Nothing else has the needed functionality.

      --
      Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
    3. Re:firemacs by bcrowell · · Score: 1

      Except, it doesn't actually add Emacs functionality, so it's kind of worthless.

      The OP was about getting keybindings consistent on different machines, because he had certain keybindings in his muscle memory.

      Nobody uses Emacs for its default keybindings.

      Mm...how did you gain telepathic insight into the mind of every emacs user in the universe? All I care about is the keybindings of emacs. In fact, most of the time I use one of the smaller emacs clones, such as mg, because they're faster. The keybindings are what I care about, because they're in my muscle memory.

      --
      Find free books.
    4. Re:firemacs by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      M-x telepathic-insight-emacs-users RETURN

      brilliant.

      sorry, no points.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  21. Remap Command to Control by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What I did was remap the Command key to generate a Control key event under X. That way, the shortcuts that work using Command under OS X and using Control under X can be accessed with the same key.

    I believe the following lines in my .xmodmaprc accomplish the remapping, but I haven't double checked:

    keycode 115 = Control_L
    keycode 116 = Control_L
    add Control = Control_L

    --
    Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
    1. Re:Remap Command to Control by jimdread · · Score: 1

      What I did was remap the Command key to generate a Control key event under X. That way, the shortcuts that work using Command under OS X and using Control under X can be accessed with the same key.

      What happens when you're using an xterm or terminal, and you push command-c? What happens if you push control-c? Because in a terminal, I'd expect control-c to stop the currently running program, or terminate and discard the current line of entry. Of course, if you don't use xterms or terminals, you probably don't care about this sort of thing.

  22. Just don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I use a mac at home and a windows machine at work. My experience: After just a little time, you don't confuse shortcuts etc. any more. Your brain adjusts very fast to diffrent environments and their specifics. Take your time.

    1. Re:Just don't by GiovanniZero · · Score: 1

      Ah, but Im using synergy to work on both machines at once, copying and pasting between them. It gets tedious to do cmd-a, cmd-c - > ctrl-v and vis-versa

      --
      Mod me up, mod me down, do your worst you modding clown.
  23. KDE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    seriously, use kde. KDE default (not kubuntu defaults) has control q to quit stuff... but seriously, you can tell it in the keyboard settings to switch control and command keys for shortcuts.

  24. Hmm... I like the command key. by jrothwell97 · · Score: 1

    Most DEs will give you a way to change this. Otherwise you can use xmodmap.

    That said, I prefer the Mac way of doing things (map the command key to Super) because it means (a) you get a greater reach over the keyboard when entering shortcuts one-handed, and (b) reserves Control as a modifier or for entering escape sequences in the console. Just my tuppence's worth...

    --
    Those using pirated Tinysoft signatures(TM) are a real threat to society and should all be thrown in jail.
  25. nice program to remap keys in Mac OS-X by sunhou · · Score: 1

    I am relatively new to the OS-X world myself (been using it for about 7 months now; I was a Linux user for 10 years, and a SunOS Unix user for about 10 years before that). At first I was annoyed about not being able to do some of the key remapping under OS-X that I used to do under Linux (e.g. I didn't see any easy way to turn the backquote/tilde key into an escape/tilde key, and the escape key into a backquote/tilde key).

    I then came across the following little program:
    http://www.pqrs.org/tekezo/macosx/keyremap4macbook/

    Despite the name, it's not only for MacBooks; I use it on my iMacs as well. The author is very receptive to suggestions, plus you can download the source and add stuff yourself if you like. I'm not saying this will necessarily solve the original poster's problems, but I've found this thing handy enough that I thought it was worth mentioning here.

  26. Switching between applications by Phroggy · · Score: 1

    You know what sucks? Spending time in pico that includes frequently searching for a string of text, and then trying to search for a string of text in Firefox.

    I'm really glad they added the Recently Closed Tabs feature.

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  27. XKeycaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "xkeycaps" is a GUI tool that allows you to remap your keyboard quite easily. Since it works at the level of the keymap, all upper layers (such as Gnome) will use that keymap without effort.

    Your Control and Command and Option keys are (to the X keymap) simply "modifier" keys. Make the propeller key emit the modifier for your system's "control" key, and you're done.

    Note that this tool really wraps the oft-mentioned xmodmap. But I use it even for simple Caps/Control swapping. And the docs will explain how to use a different mapping for different machines. (If you have a network of boxes, this allows you to have "your" keymap no matter what box you log in to.)

    Anyway, Google for xkeycaps and take back your keyboard.

    (And for the record, the A2 open-apple and closed-apple keys were simply wire-or'ed to the game paddle buttons...)

  28. How do i change my cpu fan? by elmer+at+web-axis · · Score: 0

    When did slashdot become a forum to ask these kinda questions? Apple->System Preferences->Keyboard&Mouse->Keyboard Shortcuts I assume your going to use a lot more windows/linux PC's than Mac if your a new mac user and if your too lazy to learn to use different key strokes in windows/linux to your new mac it's probably better to change the mac and leave everyone else's key bindings alone. Also why suddenly do something the new way when you can keep doing stuff the old? -- Why reinvent the wheel? That's what we have china for.

  29. Re:not many know it, but it's easy to set gnome ke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The reason this preference is hidden and not enabled by default is usability. If you accidentally press a key with your mouse over a menu item, it will rebind the key. And believe me, "randomly" rebound keys confuse a lot of users.

  30. ybalabanov by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ever tried WindowMaker ... you will be amazed how close it is to the Mac ... perhaps due to the OpenStep.

  31. Mac's keys are better! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Personally, I find the Mac modifiers to be more comfortable. Less hand movement is required to swing down and hit, say, command-x than is for control-x. That's why I used xmodmap to make my Linux and Windows modifiers easier to use.
    I guess what I'm trying to say is "fuck you" to everyone who thinks the Mac modifiers are antiquated or foolish. Fuck all of you!

  32. Just remap the Command in OSX by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    - it's such a great OS so surely that's possible... no, wait.

  33. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  34. If you use xmodmap... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can also use "xev" to double check your mappings, since it will tell you the actual X event that is being generated when the key is pressed.

  35. Where's the INSert key on mac keyboards? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

    All I want to know is where's the INSert key on mac keyboards?

    Us coders sometimes *gasp* toggle between insert & over-write for code and/or cmd line editing....

  36. Instructions on how to remap with modmap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here, in my blog:

    http://pierreth.blogspot.com/

  37. coping with Mac using a PC keyboard by ecloud · · Score: 1

    I recently got a Mini and managed to hook it up via a USB-to-PS/2 converter to my KVM, to which is attached a real IBM keyboard, which I really don't want to replace. So I had to figure out how to make Ctrl act like Command on the Mac. IMO this is very natural - Ctrl is in a better location, and now Mac-style commands that I'm already used to, like Ctrl-W to close a window, work the same on all 3 platforms with the same keyboard. What annoys me though is when using the Mac terminal, I have to use a different key to generate Ctrl-C Ctrl-D etc. I mapped the right Alt to that.

    What I have not found is a way on the Mac to make Caps Lock act as a control key. That would be ideal. Then the existing Ctrl is in the best position to be the Command key, Caps Lock is in the best position to be Control (like on a real Unix machine) and I already know how to make it act the same on Windows and Linux.

  38. XMODMAP Rules! accented chars, typographic symbols by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    everything.

    Y'all wanna EN-dash ( or other typographic symbol )? you got it...

    Y'all wanna Russian/French/Japanese char of some kind? you got it...

    $ find /usr -name "keysymdef.h"

    ( man xmodmap to discover what it's called, if it's different on your distro )

    once you find the thing, READ it, and drool upon the potential!

    I just stuck a bunch of xmodmap lines in my ~/.bashrc and it was fixed good.

    Shift doesn't work on all of the number-pad, though ( you want LOTS of things on your keyboard? hehehe :)

    I used to use the KDE keyboard setup thingy, having one ALT as the next modifier, iirc, so I had regular/shift/alt for most keys: make a map for 'em, and you can do typography much quicker than through the dang menu-thingies )

  39. Keyboard Maestro will help you emulate Linux by rolandw · · Score: 1

    The simple answer is Peter N. Lewis's excellent "Keyboard Maestro" http://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/ . I started confusing Emacs keyboard combinations with OS X's native (like always pressing C-x, C-s to save a document even when written in TextEdit). It is remarkably configurable and before long your Linux keyboard shortcuts will work on your Mac. Note of caution though, OS X's native Keyboard Shortcuts (System Prefs, Keyboard & Mouse) are really unstable and keep on getting forgotten - Keyboard Maestro's might occasionally get confused but are never lost!