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What you are changing
A keyboard shortcut can be handled by several different layers:
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- The physical keyboard and its input device.
- The Linux kernel virtual-console keymap.
- A shell line editor such as Bash Readline or Zsh.
- A terminal emulator or multiplexer such as GNOME Console, Konsole, xterm, or tmux.
- The graphical desktop or an individual application.
loadkeys changes only the second layer: the keymap used by a Linux VT. Linux documents virtual consoles as part of the kernel console-driver subsystem (kernel console documentation). A mapping loaded there will not automatically alter shortcuts in a graphical terminal window.
Open a real Linux virtual console
- Save work in your graphical session.
- Press a switching combination such as Ctrl+Alt+F3.
- Log in at the text prompt.
- Run the discovery and loading commands in that console, not in a terminal emulator.
- Return to the graphical session with its assigned function key, often Ctrl+Alt+F1 or F2. The exact key depends on the distribution and display-manager configuration.
Switching keys themselves can be intercepted by the kernel or desktop, so choose an available VT and test there.
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Step 1: discover the keycodes on this machine
Keycode numbers should not be copied from a tutorial. They can differ with hardware, firmware, kernel behavior, and the console in use. In the target VT, run:
sudo showkey --keycodesPress and release each key you intend to use, including the modifier combination. showkey reports the kernel keycode for use in personalized keymaps; its --keycodes mode is the relevant one for ordinary key definitions (showkey documentation). Record the numbers and stop the program with Ctrl+C.
- A modifier state may select a different keymap entry without creating a new physical keycode.
- Some combinations are consumed by VT switching, SysRq, firmware, a desktop, or another input layer before an application can use them.
- Unusual keys may emit scancodes that the kernel does not yet map. Such a key can require
setkeycodesbefore it is useful in a keymap.
Step 2: back up the active console map
Before experimenting, save the current translation tables:
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sudo dumpkeys --full-table > "$HOME/virtual-console-keymap.backup.kmap"dumpkeys writes the active tables in keymap format; --full-table makes modifier combinations explicit (dumpkeys documentation). Keep a copy somewhere you can reach from another VT or a recovery shell, rather than relying only on the console you are about to change.
To restore the saved map later:
sudo loadkeys "$HOME/virtual-console-keymap.backup.kmap"Step 3: write a small keymap override
Keymap files are line-oriented. They can contain modifier maps, key definitions, strings, compose rules, comments, and includes. The basic form is:
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keymaps 0-127
shift keycode <KEYCODE> = <ACTION>The keymaps declaration identifies the modifier maps used by the file. Use symbolic actions where possible. To inspect the action names supported by the installed tools, run:
dumpkeys --long-infoSymbolic names are generally more portable than raw numeric action codes, whose values can vary between kernels (dumpkeys documentation). The keymap grammar and keycode syntax are described in the kbd keymaps manual and Linux keymaps manual.
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This example replaces the existing Shift-plus-page-key behavior only if your console’s scroll actions support those symbols. First obtain the actual arrow-key numbers with showkey --keycodes, then create a file:
nano "$HOME/virtual-console-scroll.kmap"Enter the following, replacing both placeholders with the values you recorded:
keymaps 0-127
shift keycode <UP_KEYCODE> = Scroll_Backward
shift keycode <DOWN_KEYCODE> = Scroll_ForwardThe names describe console actions, but visual direction can feel opposite to what you expect. Test both keys and exchange Scroll_Backward and Scroll_Forward if necessary. Do not treat fixed values quoted in older tutorials as authoritative; the original example at DZone is best regarded as a syntax example, and its arrow/page assignments appear inconsistent with commonly reported numbering.
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Step 4: load and test the map temporarily
Load the file into the active virtual console:
sudo loadkeys "$HOME/virtual-console-scroll.kmap"Generate enough output to create console scrollback, then try the new combination. This change is normally temporary: it affects the current console map and may disappear when console setup runs again or the machine reboots.
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For a one-off experiment, you can send a map through standard input:
sudo loadkeys <<'EOF'
keymaps 0-127
shift keycode <UP_KEYCODE> = Scroll_Backward
shift keycode <DOWN_KEYCODE> = Scroll_Forward
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Step 5: make a custom binding persistent with systemd
For an ordinary language layout, use your distribution’s supported configuration instead. For an arbitrary action remapping, a dedicated oneshot service is clearer than a cron job.
Install the keymap
sudo install -D -m 0644
"$HOME/virtual-console-scroll.kmap"
/etc/virtual-console-scroll.kmapThe location under /etc is distribution-neutral. Some distributions instead use directories such as /etc/console-setup.
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Create the unit
Check the executable location first:
command -v loadkeysThen create the service:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/virtual-console-keymap.service[Unit]
Description=Load custom Linux virtual-console keymap
After=systemd-vconsole-setup.service
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[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/loadkeys /etc/virtual-console-scroll.kmap
RemainAfterExit=yes
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetIf command -v loadkeys returned another path, substitute it for /usr/bin/loadkeys. The ordering shown is a useful starting point, but a distribution that reloads its console map later may require different ordering.
Enable, inspect, and test
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now virtual-console-keymap.service
systemctl status virtual-console-keymap.service
sudo systemctl restart virtual-console-keymap.serviceA systemd unit provides explicit ordering, status, and journal logging. To remove the persistent change:
sudo systemctl disable --now virtual-console-keymap.service/etc/rc.local and cron @reboot jobs may work as compatibility techniques, but systemd describes rc.local as compatibility support and recommends a proper unit for new configuration (rc-local.service documentation).
Use the distribution layout tools for layout changes
If the goal is a layout such as US, UK, German, or Dvorak rather than a custom action, use the system’s console configuration:
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localectl statuslocalectl manages system and virtual-console keyboard mappings; it is not a complete editor for arbitrary shortcuts such as “make Shift+Up invoke scrollback” (localectl manual). On systems using systemd-vconsole-setup, /etc/vconsole.conf and boot/initramfs configuration can determine the default map. Tools such as dracut can include that configuration in the initramfs (dracut documentation).
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When loadkeys is the wrong tool
| Desired behavior | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Command-line editing in Bash | Bash Readline settings, usually ~/.inputrc |
| Command-line editing in Zsh | Zsh keymaps and widgets |
| Tabs, panes, copy/paste, or zoom in a terminal window | The terminal emulator’s settings |
| Pane and session controls | tmux configuration |
| Desktop-wide application shortcuts | Your desktop environment’s keyboard settings |
| Keyboard behavior in an SSH session | The local terminal, shell, or multiplexer; SSH normally does not expose the remote machine’s physical VT |
Troubleshooting and recovery
The map is rejected
- Confirm that you are on a real VT, not a graphical terminal emulator.
- Check the declaration and syntax in the file.
- Verify that the action exists:
dumpkeys --long-info | less. - Check the executable and load verbosely:
command -v loadkeysfollowed bysudo loadkeys -v /etc/virtual-console-scroll.kmap. - Use root or equivalent privileges.
The change disappears
That is normal for a manual loadkeys invocation. Install and enable the service, or use the distribution’s console configuration for a layout change.
It works on one VT but not another
Test the target VT directly. Virtual terminals can have separate active maps, and a display manager or console-setup service may reload one later.
The graphical desktop is unchanged
This is expected: graphical applications use their own input stack rather than the kernel VT keymap.
Ctrl or Alt combinations do not work
Try a non-conflicting combination. VT switching, SysRq, desktop global shortcuts, firmware, and other console functions can consume the same keys.
Restore a bad mapping
- Switch to another VT and log in as an administrator.
- Restore the saved map:
sudo loadkeys /path/to/virtual-console-keymap.backup.kmap- Disable the persistent unit if it keeps reloading the bad file:
sudo systemctl disable --now virtual-console-keymap.serviceIf every VT is unusable, use a recovery shell or another administrative access path. Do not experiment with Ctrl+Alt+Delete, SysRq, emergency, or Secure Attention Key combinations unless you understand their consequences; special console mappings can terminate processes holding /dev/console (Linux Secure Attention Key documentation).
Scrollback is unavailable
Keyboard scrollback depends on the kernel console driver, distribution configuration, and whether you are actually in a VT. GPM can add mouse support and cut-and-paste, but it is not a universal prerequisite for keyboard scrolling.
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