Turn Caps Lock key into delete key

Question

Using Kubuntu on a Macbook there is no delete key. Delete can be done with Backspace+Fn, but there is only one Fn on the farthest corner from Backspace, so that a delete action requires both hands.

I don't use CapsLock for uppercase, I use Shift for that, so CapsLock could be used for delete. I can make it act as a Backspace with the keyboard advanced settings, but this new Backspace doesn't work with Fn in order to delete.

How could I make CapsLock work as a key for "Backspace+Fn=delete" or simply turn it into a Delete key?

Answer 1

For both X11 and Wayland, you can use the remapper deamon keyd for this purpose. See this answer for installation, usage and tips.

After installation, use this config:

[ids]



[main]
capslock = delete

Answer 2

X11 solution:

Here and here I have found that the keycode for Capslock is 66. From here I've got the command to remap Caps Lock as Delete:

xmodmap -e "keycode 66 = Delete"

After testing that it worked I have made it run at startup by creating the file ~/.config/autostart/capslock-delete.desktop (based on last link) with the lines:

[Desktop Entry]
Exec=sh -c 'xmodmap -e "keycode 66 = Delete"'
Name=capslock is delete
Terminal=false
Type=Application

It may happen that the Capslock key continues to trigger lock-uppercase beside doing delete. It needs to be disabled as said here, or in KDE, under keyboard settings - Advanced - Capslock behavior - Disable...

Update:

In case the solution of the said above desktop file or command to run at startup is not working, following this answer, this seems to work in Kubuntu 22.04:

• create a file ~/.Xmodmap containing the keycode setting: keycode 66 = Delete

• create a script like for example ~/bin/capslock.delete.sh:

   #!/bin/bash           
  sleep 1;               
  echo "running xmodmap" 
  xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap   
  

• make the .sh file executable

• add the same script file to be executed at startup

---

In case one still wants a key or key combination to lock the upper keys (the CapsLock key default behavior), the following command - involving xdotool - which can be associated with shortcut like Super+Delete or Alt+Delete (where the key pressed for Delete is of course the real/former CapsLock) - will do:

xdotool key Caps_Lock

Install xdotool:

sudo apt install xdotool

I have associated Alt+CapsLock with the command sh -c 'xdotool key Caps_Lock'.

(One would expect that xdotool might be used in the first place to get the delete action with a command like: xdotool key Delete, but that doesn't seem to work very well, as said here; I have been able to use it - sort of - with Ctrl+D, but that only deletes text to the right without deleting files.)

A good alternative to get the delete action (as well as others that I haven't tested) is to use AutoKey, described here, about the delete action:

---

Solution for Wayland:

I haven't tested because I don't use Wayland, but I have found here that xremap and modmap should work as alternatives to xmodmap. Also, see the other answer on keyd.