Swapping Ctrl, Win, and Alt in MX Linux (Xfce) – Issue with Alt Modifier
0
votes
1
answer
91
views
I'm using MX Linux with Xfce and trying to swap three keys:
- Ctrl → Win (Super)
- Win → Alt
- Alt → Ctrl
Swapping two keys at a time works using
setxkbmap
, for example:
setxkbmap -option ctrl:swap_lalt_lctl
However, if I try to add a second swap, like:
setxkbmap -option ctrl:swap_lalt_lctl,altwin:swap_alt_win
I end up with a repetition of the same key instead of a clean three-way swap.
### Attempted Solution
I created a custom XKB symbols file:
xkb_symbols "ctrl_win_alt_swap" {
include "us" // Keep the default US layout
key { [ Super_L ] }; // Left Ctrl → Left Win
key { [ Alt_L ] }; // Left Win → Left Alt
key { [ Control_L ] }; // Left Alt → Left Ctrl
};
I apply this with:
setxkbmap -layout custom -variant ctrl_win_alt_swap
The remapping works, except for one issue:
- Pressing **Alt alone** produces Ctrl
, which is expected.
- Pressing **Alt in combination with another key** results in **Ctrl+Alt**, instead of just Ctrl
.
Why does this happen, and how can I properly swap Ctrl, Win, and Alt without modifier conflicts?
Asked by igm2103
(1 rep)
Feb 2, 2025, 10:09 PM
Last activity: Feb 4, 2025, 06:36 PM
Last activity: Feb 4, 2025, 06:36 PM