Map Super+[Left|Right] to Home/End

Question

How do I map key "Super" so, when combined with Left/Right, it produces keycode Home/End?

My current setxkbmap:

setxkbmap \
  -model pc105 \
  -layout 'us(dvorak-intl),us(alt-intl)' \
  -option \
  -option grp:lctrl_lshift_toggle \
  -option compose:rwin

Answer 1

You can't do it with just a setkxbmap option, as no default option does what you want.

But you can do it by defining key behaviour at a lower level.

The page http://madduck.net/docs/extending-xkb/ helped me to understand and find a way to do it.

Create a file ~/.xkb/keymap/mykbd where you put the output of setxkbmap, it will be your base keyboard definition; eg:

setxkbmap -print > ~/.xkb/keymap/mykbd

then we will create a ~/.xkb/types/mytypes file and put the following in:

partial
xkb_types "super_level2" {
    Virtual_modifiers Super;
    type "SUPER_LEVEL2" {
        modifiers= Super;
        map[Super]= Level2;
        level_name[Level1]= "Base";
        level_name[Level2]= "Super";
    };
};

it defines a type SUPER_LEVEL2 that will allow to easily define symbols sent when a key is pressed with Super.

then, in the ~/.xkb/symbols/mysymbols put the following lines:

partial modifier_keys
xkb_symbols "super_arrows_home_end" {
    key <LEFT>  {
        type[Group1] = "SUPER_LEVEL2",
        symbols[Group1] = [    Left,   Home      ]
    };
    key <RGHT>  {
        type[Group1] = "SUPER_LEVEL2",
        symbols[Group1] = [    Right,  End       ]
    };
};

(note the use of the "SUPER_LEVEL2 type we defined, it means that the second (level 2) symbol on the symbols line is triggered when pressing Super key (instead of Shift key).

Finally, edit the ~/.xkb/keymap/mykbd file to load the snippets we wrote:

• in the xkb_types line add +mytypes(super_level2) inside the quotes
• in the xkb_symbols line add +mysymbols(super_arrows_home_end) in the quotes.

Now you can load it with

xkbcomp -I$HOME/.xkb ~/.xkb/keymap/mykbd $DISPLAY

Test your left/right keys, they should work as you wanted.