Editing Xmodmap (section)

==Basic xmodmap usage==

xmodmap ideally works when it is executed to run a xmodmap specific configuration file. However xmodmap can also allow one to change parameters one at a time without the need to constantly reload the entire xmodmap specific configuration file.

xmodmap when executed to load a xmodmap specific configuration file it will be a little more resource demanding (more CPU specific) in the first few seconds or so when setting up the keyboard settings according to user requirements. Keep in mind that the initial period only lasts for a short period on a modern machine and during that time certain keys may not work depending on how it is setup. The benefits for this method is that when setup properly xmodmap can then be set to work in a more non-interactive mode thereby eliminating the need for the user to constantly interact with the program unless for instance when switching between differently sized keyboards for instance or keyboards that sends out different keycodes for certain keys.

For instance xmodmap is here is told to run a xmodmap specific configuration file named hhkb.xmodmap. The filename can be an arbitrary name as long as the contents specifically complies with xmodmap's "language". The way to execute it as such would be:

 xmodmap hhkb.xmodmap

xmodmap when executed to run a specific string allows the user to load specific setups without the need for xmodmap to re-load the entire xmodmap setup that it was using. In other words, adding extra keycodes to make the system interpret certain commands that the keycode is equivalent to does not demand more of CPU usage compared to the former case above (when to load a xmodmap specific configuration file). In this particular case it also allows xmodmap to evaluate (to an extent) user's settings and throw any exception when there is an issue with the said command. If and when an exception happens on the interactive level, xmodmap does not apply the specific setup that the user requested. This is handy for those who are unfamiliar with the syntax for instance. Bear in mind that xmodmap does not ask the user whether or not to overwrite a certain configuration (e.g. keycode 111  = Enter on the current configuration and the new command replaces the Enter for Space) as xmodmap interprets that is exactly what the user wants without asking. Therefore it is always best to check the current configuration before modifying with the new one as once executing the new one will overwrite the old one without warning.

Example of where xmodmap is told to "test" and execute a single parameter for instance to swap Enter with Space for keycode 111 would be:

 xmodmap -e "keycode 111  = space"

xmodmap can also print the current configuration setup as well as to show xmodmap's grammar (specific language/parameters) as well as plenty others. These information may be found via xmodmap -help, man/info pages.