LOADKEYS(1)		      Linux Users Manual		  LOADKEYS(1)



NAME
       loadkeys - load keyboard translation tables


SYNOPSIS
       loadkeys [ -d --default ] [ -h --help ] [ -q --quiet ] [ -u --unicode ]
       [ -v --verbose [ -v --verbose ]...] [ -m --mktable ] [  -c  --clearcom
       pose ] [ -s --clearstrings ] [ filename... ]


DESCRIPTION
       The loadkeys program reads the file or files specified by filename...

       Its main purpose is to load the kernel keymap for the console.

RESET TO DEFAULT
       If  the	-d  (or  --default ) option is given, loadkeys loads a default
       keymap,	 probably   the   file	 defkeymap.map[.gz]    typically    in
       /usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty/	 or   in  /usr/src/linux/drivers/char.
       (Probably the former was user-defined, while the  latter  is  a	qwerty
       keyboard  map for PCs - maybe not what was desired.)  Sometimes, with a
       strange keymap loaded (with the minus on some obscure unknown  modifier
       combination) it is easier to type loadkeys defkeymap.


LOAD KERNEL KEYMAP
       The  main  function  of	loadkeys  is  to  load	or modify the keyboard
       drivers translation tables.  When specifying the file names,  standard
       input  can be denoted by dash (-). If no file is specified, the data is
       read from the standard input.

       For many countries and keyboard types appropriate keymaps are available
       already,  and  a  command like loadkeys uk might do what you want. On
       the other hand, it is easy to construct ones own keymap. The user  has
       to tell what symbols belong to each key. She can find the keycode for a
       key by  use  of	showkey(1),  while  the  keymap  format  is  given  in
       keymaps(5) and can also be seen from the output of dumpkeys(1).


LOAD KERNEL ACCENT TABLE
       If  the	input  file  does not contain any compose key definitions, the
       kernel accent table is left unchanged, unless the -c (or --clearcompose
       )  option  is  given, in which case the kernel accent table is emptied.
       If the input file does contain compose key definitions,	then  all  old
       definitions  are  removed,  and	replaced by the specified new entries.
       The kernel accent table is  a  sequence	of  (by  default  68)  entries
       describing  how	dead  diacritical  signs and compose keys behave.  For
       example, a line

	      compose , c to ccedilla

       means that <,> must be combined to .  The cur
       rent  content of this table can be see using dumpkeys --compose-only.


LOAD KERNEL STRING TABLE
       The option -s (or --clearstrings ) clears the kernel string  table.  If
       this  option  is  not given, loadkeys will only add or replace strings,
       not remove them.  (Thus, the option -s is required  to  reach  a  well-
       defined	state.)  The kernel string table is a sequence of strings with
       names like F31. One can make function key F5 (on an  ordinary  PC  key
       board) produce the text Hello!, and Shift+F5 Goodbye! using lines

	      keycode 63 = F70 F71
	      string F70 = "Hello!"
	      string F71 = "Goodbye!"

       in  the keymap.	The default bindings for the function keys are certain
       escape sequences mostly inspired by the VT100 terminal.


CREATE KERNEL SOURCE TABLE
       If the -m (or --mktable ) option is given loadkeys prints to the  stan
       dard  output  a	file  that may be used as /usr/src/linux/drivers/char
       /defkeymap.c, specifying the default key bindings  for  a  kernel  (and
       does not modify the current keymap).


OPTIONS
       -h --help
	      print  the  version number and a short usage message to the pro
	      grams standard error output and exit.


       -v --verbose
	      Print details about changes.  If used  several  times,  be  even
	      more verbose.


       -u --unicode
	      Go into unicode mode; characters outputted will be in UTF-8.


       -q --quiet
	      Do not print standard messages.


       -c --clearcompose
	      Clear  the kernels compose table (also called accent table). If
	      this option is not given, and if this file does not contain  any
	      compose  key  definitions,  the  kernel  compose	table  is left
	      unchanged.


       -s --clearstrings
	      Clear the kernel string table. If  this  option  is  not	given,
	      loadkeys will only add or replace strings, not remove them.


FILES
       /usr/share/keymaps/ default directory for keymap files.

       /usr/share/keymaps/defkeymap.kmap default keymap loaded by -d option.


BUGS
       Note  that  anyone  having read access to /dev/console can run loadkeys
       and thus change the keyboard layout, possibly making it unusable.  Note
       that  the keyboard translation table is common for all the virtual con
       soles, so any changes to the keyboard bindings affect all  the  virtual
       consoles simultaneously.

       Note  that  because  the  changes affect all the virtual consoles, they
       also outlive your session. This means that even at the login prompt the
       key bindings may not be what the user expects.

       The  default keymap should be the default keymap compiled in the kernel
       (ie.  the one in /usr/src/linux/drivers/char/defkeymap.c).


SEE ALSO
       dumpkeys(1), kbd_mode(1), keymaps(5), setkeycodes(8).



Console tools			  09 Oct 1997			   LOADKEYS(1)