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SETXKBMAP(1)		    General Commands Manual		  SETXKBMAP(1)

NAME
       setxkbmap -- set	keymaps	and layouts via	the X Keyboard Extension

SYNOPSIS
       setxkbmap [options] [layout [variant [option ...]]]

DESCRIPTION
       The  setxkbmap utility maps the keyboard	to use the specified layout in
       an X(7) session.	 For a table of	available  layouts  and	 options,  see
       xkeyboard-config(7).

       The options are as follows:

       -?, -help
	       Print a message describing the valid input to setxkbmap.

       -compat name
	       Specify	the  name  of  the compatibility map component used to
	       construct a keyboard layout.

       -config file
	       Specify the name	of an XKB configuration	file  which  describes
	       the keyboard to be used.

       -device deviceid
	       Specify the numeric device id of	the input device to be updated
	       with  the new keyboard layout.  If not specified, the core key-
	       board device of the Xorg(1) server is updated.

       -display	display
	       Specify the display to be updated with the new keyboard layout.

       -geometry name
	       Specify the name	of the geometry	component used to construct  a
	       keyboard	layout.

       -I directory
	       Add a directory to the list of directories to be	used to	search
	       for the specified layout	or rules files.

       -keycodes name
	       Specify	the name of the	keycodes component used	to construct a
	       keyboard	layout.

       -keymap name
	       Specify the name	of the keymap description used to construct  a
	       keyboard	layout.

       -layout name
	       Specify the name	of the layout used to determine	the components
	       which make up the keyboard description.	The -layout option may
	       only  be	 used  once.   Multiple	 layouts can be	specified as a
	       comma-separated list.

       -model name
	       Specify the name	of the keyboard	model used  to	determine  the
	       components  which  make	up the keyboard	description.  Only one
	       model may be specified on the command line.

       -option name
	       Specify the name	of an option to	determine the components which
	       make up the keyboard description; multiple options may be spec-
	       ified, one per -option flag.  Note that setxkbmap adds  options
	       specified  in the command line to the options that were set be-
	       fore (as	saved in root window properties).  If you want to  re-
	       place  all  previously  specified options, use the -option flag
	       with an empty argument first.

       -print  Print component names in	a format acceptable by the  xkbcomp(1)
	       keymap compiler and exit.  The option can be used for tests in-
	       stead  of  a  verbose option and	in cases when one needs	to run
	       both the	setxkbmap  and	xkbcomp(1)  utilities  in  chain  (see
	       below).

       -query  Print  the  current rules, model, layout, variant, and options,
	       then exit.

       -rules file
	       Specify the name	of the rules file  used	 to  resolve  the  re-
	       quested layout and model	to a set of component names.

       -symbols	name
	       Specify	the  name of the symbols component used	to construct a
	       keyboard	layout.

       -synch  Force synchronization for X requests.

       -types name
	       Specify the name	of the types component	used  to  construct  a
	       keyboard	layout.

       -variant	name
	       Specify	which variant of the keyboard layout should be used to
	       determine the components	which make up  the  keyboard  descrip-
	       tion.   The  -variant  option  may only be used once.  Multiple
	       variants	can be specified as a comma-separated list and will be
	       matched with the	layouts	specified with -layout.

       -v[erbose] [level]
	       Specify level of	verbosity in output  messages.	 Valid	levels
	       range from 0 (least verbose) to 10 (most	verbose).  Default: 5.
	       If  no  level is	specified, each	-v or -verbose flag raises the
	       level by	1.

       -version
	       Print the utility's version number and exit.

IMPLEMENTATION NOTES
       An XKB keymap is	constructed from a number of components	which are com-
       piled only as needed by converting the arguments	to the	names  of  XKB
       configuration  files  in	 /usr/local/share/X11/xkb  on the X(7) client.
       Those filenames are then	passed to the Xorg(1) server,  unless  printed
       to stdout(4), with -print.

FILES
       /usr/local/share/X11/xkb	 source	for all	XKB components

EXIT STATUS
       The setxkbmap utility exits 0 on	success, and >0	if an error occurs.

EXAMPLES
       Rebind the Caps Lock key	as an additional Left Control:

	     setxkbmap -option ctrl:nocaps

       Set the layout to US, composing the keymap on the client	for situations
       where XKB component files may differ between the	Xserver(1) and client:

	     setxkbmap us -print | xkbcomp - $DISPLAY

       Reset XKB options:

	     setxkbmap -option

DIAGNOSTICS
       Cannot  open  display  "default	display"  The shell environment	is not
       aware of	a currently running X(7) session.   Start  X(7)	 before	 using
       this utility, or	set the	DISPLAY	environment variable.

       Running setxkbmap against an Xwayland server  This utility will not run
       in  an  Xwayland(1)  session.   Use the Wayland Compositor's native XKB
       configuration method instead.

SEE ALSO
       xkbcomp(1), X(7), xkeyboard-config(7)

HISTORY
       setxkbmap first appeared	in XFree86 3.2.

FreeBSD	ports 15.quarterly	March 29, 2025			  SETXKBMAP(1)

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