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This wiki page provides information on keyboard layouts and how to configure them in Kicksecure.

Kicksecure

Desktop Environment

Note: Choose Version 17 or Version 18.

Version 17

Kicksecure 17 only.

*Desktop Keyboard Layout Change*
Platform	Steps
Xfce	To permanently change the keyboard layout, apply the following steps. `Applications` → `Settings` → `Keyboard` → `Layout` → `disable "use system defaults"` → `add your layout at the bottom` → `remove the old layout` → `close`
Graphical Terminal Emulator (X11)	Temporary until reboot. ^[1] setxkbmap de Note: To set the keyboard to your preferred language, run this command to list all possible layouts. localectl list-x11-keymap-layouts

Version 18

Kicksecure 18 and above.

System-wide configuration.

*System-wide Keyboard Layout Change for GUI (labwc) and virtual terminal (CLI)*
Platform	Steps
System-wide - TUI	Terminal User Interface (TUI) Interactive: set-system-keymap --interactive
System-wide - CLI	command line interface (CLI) View available keymaps. localectl list-x11-keymap-layouts Syntax: set-system-keymap keymap Example: Note: Replace `de` with the actual keymap to use. set-system-keymap de Manually: See below.
Other Wayland compositors	Differs depending on the Wayland compositor in use. Usually can be set using DE-specific tools, may require editing a configuration file and then restarting the compositor to make changes take effect.

Per-user configuration. (Not system-wide configuration.)

*Desktop Keyboard Layout Change*
Platform	Steps
LXQt + labwc Wayland compositor - TUI	Terminal User Interface (TUI) Interactive: set-labwc-keymap --interactive
LXQt + labwc Wayland compositor - CLI	command line interface (CLI) View available keymaps. localectl list-x11-keymap-layouts Syntax: set-labwc-keymap keymap Example: Note: Replace `de` with the actual keymap to use. set-labwc-keymap de Manually: See footnote. ^[2]
Other Wayland compositors	Differs depending on the Wayland compositor in use. Usually can be set using DE-specific tools, may require editing a configuration file and then restarting the compositor to make changes take effect.

Virtual Terminal

To change the keyboard layout. ^[3]

Note: Changes keyboard layout for virtual terminals only. This does not effect the graphical environment.

Version 17:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration && sudo setupcon

Version 18:

sudo set-console-keymap
or:
sudo set-system-keymap

^[4] ^[5]

Whonix 18 and above:

sudo set-console-keymap

Simple

Whonix 18 and above:

set-system-keymap sets both keyboard layouts for,

1) command line interface (CLI), and
2) graphical user interface (GUI).

With 1 command only. It can either be started from

A) System Maintenance Panel, or
B) from the command line.

Terminal User Interface (TUI):

sudo set-system-keymap --interactive

CLI:

sudo set-system-keymap

If installing Kicksecure using its ISO, Kicksecure's Calamares based installer) uses set-system-keymap internally to configure the keyboard layout.

Kicksecure-Qubes

To correctly apply changes system-wide via dom0: ^[6]

System Tools → Keyboard → Layout

Alternatively, language localization input can be configured on a per VM basis.

If problems are encountered, see: My keyboard layout settings are not behaving correctly. What should I do? in the Qubes FAQ.

Footnotes

↑ setxkbmap Man Page
↑
labwc uses the XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT environment variable, as documented at https://labwc.github.io/getting-started.html. To permanently change the keyboard layout, apply the following steps.
- Open a terminal → Run mkdir -p ~/.config/labwc → Run nano ~/.config/labwc/environment → Type XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT=zz, replacing zz with the code for your keyboard layout → Type Ctrl+S to save, then Ctrl+X to exit → Run labwc --reconfigure to load new settings.
Note: To set the keyboard to your preferred language, run this command to list all possible layouts.
↑ French keyboards:
Perhaps an upstream bug.
( https://web.archive.org/web/20160519163403/https://free.nchc.org.tw/clonezilla-live/stable/Known-issues-Clonezilla-live.txt )
If you are using French Keymap, remember to use "Select keymap from full list":
1. Select keymap from full list
2. pc / azerty / French / Same as X11 (latin 9) /Standard
↑
Alternative /etc/default/keyboard method:
Open file /etc/default/keyboard in an editor with root rights.
Select your platform.
Kicksecure

See Open File with Root Rights for detailed instructions on why using sudoedit improves security and how to use it.
Note: Mousepad (or the chosen text editor) must be closed before running the sudoedit command.
sudoedit /etc/default/keyboard

Kicksecure-Qubes

Notes:

When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this must be done inside the Template.

sudoedit /etc/default/keyboard

After applying this change, shut down the Template.

All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.

This is a general procedure required for Qubes and is unspecific to Kicksecure-Qubes.

Others and Alternatives

Notes:

This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.

If this example does not work for you, or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to Open File with Root Rights.

sudoedit /etc/default/keyboard
↑ Alternative loadkeys method:
Temporary until reboot. sudo loadkeys de
↑ The Qubes bug reporting the change does not propagate to other VMs has now been resolved.

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[1] setxkbmap Man Page

[2] labwc uses the XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT environment variable, as documented at https://labwc.github.io/getting-started.html. To permanently change the keyboard layout, apply the following steps.
Open a terminal → Run mkdir -p ~/.config/labwc → Run nano ~/.config/labwc/environment → Type XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT=zz, replacing zz with the code for your keyboard layout → Type Ctrl+S to save, then Ctrl+X to exit → Run labwc --reconfigure to load new settings.
Note: To set the keyboard to your preferred language, run this command to list all possible layouts.

[3] Open a terminal → Run mkdir -p ~/.config/labwc → Run nano ~/.config/labwc/environment → Type XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT=zz, replacing zz with the code for your keyboard layout → Type Ctrl+S to save, then Ctrl+X to exit → Run labwc --reconfigure to load new settings.

[3] French keyboards:
Perhaps an upstream bug.
( https://web.archive.org/web/20160519163403/https://free.nchc.org.tw/clonezilla-live/stable/Known-issues-Clonezilla-live.txt )
If you are using French Keymap, remember to use "Select keymap from full list":
1. Select keymap from full list
2. pc / azerty / French / Same as X11 (latin 9) /Standard

[4] Alternative /etc/default/keyboard method:
Open file /etc/default/keyboard in an editor with root rights.

Select your platform.

Kicksecure

See Open File with Root Rights for detailed instructions on why using sudoedit improves security and how to use it.
Note: Mousepad (or the chosen text editor) must be closed before running the sudoedit command.
sudoedit /etc/default/keyboard

Kicksecure-Qubes

Notes:

When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this must be done inside the Template.

sudoedit /etc/default/keyboard

After applying this change, shut down the Template.

All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.

This is a general procedure required for Qubes and is unspecific to Kicksecure-Qubes.

Others and Alternatives

Notes:

This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.

If this example does not work for you, or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to Open File with Root Rights.

sudoedit /etc/default/keyboard

[6] When using Kicksecure-Qubes, this must be done inside the Template.

[7] After applying this change, shut down the Template.

[8] All App Qubes based on the Template need to be restarted if they were already running.

[9] This is a general procedure required for Qubes and is unspecific to Kicksecure-Qubes.

[10] This is just an example. Other tools could achieve the same goal.

[11] If this example does not work for you, or if you are not using Kicksecure, please refer to Open File with Root Rights.

[5] Alternative loadkeys method:
Temporary until reboot. sudo loadkeys de

[6] The Qubes bug reporting the change does not propagate to other VMs has now been resolved.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

Keyboard Layout

Contents

Kicksecure

Desktop Environment

Version 17

Version 18

Virtual Terminal

Simple

Kicksecure-Qubes

See Also

Footnotes

Kicksecure

Kicksecure-Qubes

Others and Alternatives

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Keyboard Layout

Kicksecure

Desktop Environment

Version 17

Version 18

Virtual Terminal

Simple

Kicksecure-Qubes

See Also

Footnotes

Kicksecure

Kicksecure-Qubes

Others and Alternatives

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