Matching Up Hotkeys for OS X and Linux GUIs?

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?

Comments

Re:What?

[mbeans]

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

Install the ccsm package for a gui to configure it.

xmodmap

[Improv]

man xmodmap

Re:first they need to fix a few things.

[Mr Z]

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.)

Re:What?

[Xelrach]

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.

not many know it, but it's easy to set gnome keys

[formal_entity]

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).

Remap Command to Control

[RAMMS EIN]

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

Re:What?

[rrp]

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.