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I am using a freshly installed Ubuntu-Gnome 16.04, and I want to set caps-lock to change keyboard layout (single key, not key combination). I used to have this Linux-mint, and I grew used to it. I looked into the setting manager, but there is doesn't accept caps-lock as a valid input. I also looked int gnome-tweak-tools but there I can't find the keyboard layout switching at all. Is this possible? how?

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  • Thank you. Please post this as answer for future reference Commented Apr 27, 2016 at 18:38

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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You could set the corresponding xkb option via dconf-editor.
Navigate to org > gnome > desktop > input-sources and add grp:caps_toggle to your xkb-options:

enter image description here

Note each option is enclosed in single quotes, options are separated by comma+space.

On older gnome3 releases you could do that also via System Settings > Keyboard (or gnome-control-center keyboard in terminal) > Typing > Modifiers-only switch to next source to Caps Lock

enter image description here

This was removed from recent releases (see sanmai's answer for alternatives to dconf-editor).

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If you're looking for a way to visually edit configuration as in other answer, there's dconf-editor supplied with dconf-tools:

sudo aptitude install dconf-tools

If you fancy batch editing needed value, here's how you can read it:

dconf read /org/gnome/desktop/input-sources/xkb-options

And here's how to update it:

dconf write /org/gnome/desktop/input-sources/xkb-options "['grp:caps_toggle']"

You may need to logout and log back in for changes to take effect, but in my case changes came into effect immediately.

Other option is to use gnome-tweaks.

Location of the "Additional Layout Options" button in the interface of Gnome Tweaks.

Menu showing an option to use CAPS LOCK as a keyboard switch.

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    It looks like gnome-tweak-tool now lacks menu Swithing to another layout. Your first approach works Commented Oct 8, 2018 at 23:38
  • @Herrgott, On my machine, running gnome-tweaks 3.30.2, Under the top level menu Keyboard & Mouse there is a button Additional Layout Options which opens a modal dialog box with the options shown here for Typing. @sanmai, it would be helpful if you could update your answer. Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 14:13
  • @LeoRochael I guess you made a mistake with mention. I haven't posted an answer. I'm not using gnome and this is one of the reasons Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 23:51
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In Cinnamon on Linux Mint (or other Gnome like):

Keyboard->Layouts->Options-> |->Switching to another layout->Caps Lock |->Use keyboard alternative ... LED->Caps Lock

enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here

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    Is this just a text-based description of sanmai's answer? Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 18:15
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    Nope. He's using gnome-tweaks but all rly simpler. Commented Jun 18, 2020 at 8:02

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