How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

Durhammer · 2025-06-12 17:55

I have a bad habit of accidentally and unconsciously hitting the Caps Lock key, and used to defeat this on MX Linux Xfce edition with a keyboard edit.

I found the hardware -> keyboard settings in KDE system settings, and there ARE a number of workarounds in there, but THEY DON'T WORK. I can select one of them, and click APPLY, and nothing happens. The keyboard tweak(s) checkboxes stick around, but the tweak doesn't take place. (Do I have to log out and back in to have it take effect? If so, it would be just peachy if the window suggested that would be necessary!)

EDIT: SOLVED -- see page #12.

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-13 16:41)

Durhammer · 2025-06-12 17:58

Just answered the question of whether logging out and back in fixes the issue. NO, IT DOES NOT WORK.

q4osteam · 2025-06-12 19:31

Durhammer wrote:

I found the hardware -> keyboard settings in KDE system settings

How exactly do you open the "keyboard settings in KDE system settings" . We need to check the options, but don't know what module you opened.

crosscourt · 2025-06-12 19:59

He means system settings>input devices>keyboard within keyboard there is advanced settings, and you slide down to caps lock and there are two choices, the second caps lock has a variety of choices to choose from but configure keyboard options box at the top must be checked.
Then select the option you want by clicking the indent arrow next to cap locks and check the box for the feature you want and click apply at the bottom of the page. Its possible you may need to restart for it to take affect.

Im confused though @Durhammer, arent you using Q4OS TDE?????

I dont run TDE(use Q4OS KDE) so cant offer any advice on keyboard choices.

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-06-12 20:22)

Durhammer · 2025-06-13 00:17

Hi @q4osteam (and @crosscourt). I click Start > Configuration > KDE > KDE System Settings. In the KDE System Settings, under Hardware, I click Input devices > Keyboard, and then in that setting, the Advanced tab. Curiously, in that tab there are TWO choices for Caps Lock behavior. Neither work.

The worst offense is there's not visible feedback when you click the "Apply" button (and there's no "OK" or other buttons). Nothing happens, the window only (at least) keeps the settings you chose, but that's it.

EDIT: also, in the Mousepad section of hardware settings, the "Disable while typing" selection does not work either.

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-13 00:18)

crosscourt · 2025-06-13 01:01

I just tested the cap lock settings, trying 4 or 5 of them to see if they would enable using the second cap lock section in keyboard>advanced.

It worked just fine and I was also able to disable it and return all functions to normal.

When you click apply it greys out once the setting has applied.

I cant test the touchpad disable while typing as I dont have a KDE install on a laptop to test.

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-06-13 01:05)

Durhammer · 2025-06-13 01:59

crosscourt wrote:

I just tested the cap lock settings, trying 4 or 5 of them to see if they would enable using the second cap lock section in keyboard>advanced.
It worked just fine and I was also able to disable it and return all functions to normal.
When you click apply it greys out once the setting has applied.
I cant test the touchpad disable while typing as I dont have a KDE install on a laptop to test.

Thanks. Now I'm just jealous.

crosscourt · 2025-06-13 02:07

I threw a drive into my Dell laptop and tried the touchpad disable while typing and it also works fine.

Dont know what to tell you at this point.

hchiper · 2025-06-13 08:28

I remember a long time ago I had to configure the behaviour of Shift and Caps lock keys in Plasma. I discovered that I had to _uncheck_ another option, but I don't remember which one.

q4osteam · 2025-06-13 08:54

Now we are puzzled, are you in Plasma or TDE ? Plasma keyboard settings will not work for Trinity desktop.

Durhammer · 2025-06-13 14:56

Yes, @q4osteam, I'm in TDE. My menus have a boatload of KDE things, the KDE System Settings being one of them.

How am I supposed to know if they don't work in TDE? Are there keyboard settings for TDE hidden somewhere else?

q4osteam · 2025-06-13 15:27

Durhammer wrote:

My menus have a boatload of KDE things...

They had to be installed manually somehow as they are not part of the default Q4OS Trinity desktop setup. Maybe you have installed Plasma aside Trinity ?

Durhammer wrote:

Are there keyboard settings for TDE hidden somewhere else?

TDE control panel > regionlal and accessibility > keyboard shortcuts or input actions

Durhammer · 2025-06-13 16:37

Can't remember now, but I could have sworn there was an ISO that had both. But yes, I do have both TDE and KDE Plasma.

Thanks for the guidance on the TDE setting path -- I'll give it a try now!

EDIT: Looks like that works. THANKS again!!

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-13 16:40)

q4osteam · 2025-06-13 16:47

You should uninstall Plasma stuff, if you don't use it:
$ sudo apt install q4os-desktop-trinity
$ sudo apt autoremove q4os-desktop-plasma systemsettings
don't reboot now and keep display manager:
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure tdm-trinity

Q4OS publish no install media with both Plasma and Trinity.

Last edited by q4osteam (2025-06-13 16:49)

crosscourt · 2025-06-13 17:40

@Durhammer, In fact you were running TDE all along, as your comments from earlier made me think that you were, but recent comments pointed to KDE. How did you get TDE and KDE installed at the same time from an iso? You had to have installed KDE at some point unknowingly. Hopefully it will get worked out.

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-06-13 19:07)

Durhammer · 2025-06-13 23:46

q4osteam wrote:

You should uninstall Plasma stuff, if you don't use it:
$ sudo apt install q4os-desktop-trinity
$ sudo apt autoremove q4os-desktop-plasma systemsettings
don't reboot now and keep display manager:
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure tdm-trinity
Q4OS publish no install media with both Plasma and Trinity.

I presume I do not have to do the install of q4os-desktop-trinity if I already have it? (Or do I NOT have it? How do I tell?)

EDIT: The iso I used was from January: q4os-5.7-x64-instcd.r1.iso and it's about 857 MB in size.

Last edited by Durhammer (2025-06-13 23:49)

crosscourt · 2025-06-13 23:50

Follow the devs directions in post #16, youll be fine.

As they said the isos are either KDE or TDE at install, none have both.

Its possible to install another DE after install later alongside but it doesnt do that with the installation isos.

Look here, www.q4os.org/downloads1.html

Note: they are listed by DE.

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-06-13 23:56)

q4osteam · Yesterday 09:44

Durhammer wrote:

I presume I do not have to do the install of q4os-desktop-trinity if I already have it?

Do that as stated, the command will also mark the package not to be uninstalled. It's likely not needed, but just in case ..

Durhammer · Yesterday 15:55

Folks, this is getting ridiculous. Hearkens back to when I said I'd moved on from Q4OS. There's some new quirk every day....

I did the commands as directed. Everything looked great at that point.

Then I rebooted. AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH.

The login dialog window is plug ugly and just plain weird. The credentials dialog "box" is in the top monitor and does not appear to be movable. At least, the mouse/cursor movements are natural and I can move the mouse up to the top (i. e., not to the left or anything like that) and log in. Then the real "fun" begins.

My lower monitor is practically useless. The wallpaper (see screenshot) is fine in the upper monitor, but psychedelically colored and ripped in the lower monitor. Same for ANY application opened in the lower (laptop) monitor. I had to grab my browser window and move it up to the top (VGA) monitor to even be able to read what I'm typing.

It also makes the panel and its icons and menu practically unreadable.

The only way I can think of to show you what I'm seeing is to take a photo with my phone and attach it.

I grow weary of this madness!

EDIT: Had to change the attachment to show what the background image SHOULD look like.

Last edited by Durhammer (Yesterday 16:04)

Attachments:

qmmp.png, Size: 234.03 KiB, Downloads: 12

Durhammer · Yesterday 16:26

Another issue with the login screen is that I cannot now even switch over to IceWM. There is no window session menu.

q4osteam · Yesterday 19:27

It is likely connected to removing plasma. Login manager has been likely removed as a dependency. You may need to get the login manager back. So run in terminal:
$ sudo apt install sddm sddm-theme-breeze
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure sddm
Reboot.

Oconcal · Yesterday 21:11

KDE has some left over code from KDM that wasn't prune out when they switch over to SDDM. But the reason why they left it in they would have to rewrite the kiosk framework. Which isn't active unless the display manager is removed.

Durhammer · Yesterday 21:18

So wish me well, the last time I was in Q4OS with these weird things going on, I stupidly used Look Switcher thinking that might fix the psychedelic effects on my laptop monitor. It didn't and I also lost any semblance of an app menu. Hopefully when I reboot into Q4OS there will be a leftover Konsole that I can run the commands in. Otherwise, I appear to be screwed.

Durhammer · Yesterday 21:31

Well, that's much better. Wish I had known to select sddm as window manager, apparently that is what works.

Now I've got to go back and slog through all my customizations and other hacks. The current font in Vivaldi is terrible, and I still don't have the back arrow control (which is very useful for going way back in the history). SIGH....

q4osteam · Yesterday 21:40

Durhammer wrote:

... the last time I was in Q4OS with these weird things going on ...

That is not Q4OS fault and nothing is weird at all. If you uninstall display manager, it will just happen on any system. Unfortunately, the root cause was our not-so-good advice to remove Plasma. We just wanted to help clean up your installation.

Durhammer wrote:

The current font in Vivaldi is terrible, and I still don't have the back arrow control

Again, not directly Q4OS issue. Is Vivaldi Flatpak based ? If so, it's exactly the same for all distributions. We cannot modify flatpaks nor underlying libraries.

Last edited by q4osteam (Yesterday 21:44)

Q4OS Forum

#1 2025-06-12 17:55

How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#2 2025-06-12 17:58

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#3 2025-06-12 19:31

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#4 2025-06-12 19:59

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#5 2025-06-13 00:17

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#6 2025-06-13 01:01

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#7 2025-06-13 01:59

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#8 2025-06-13 02:07

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#9 2025-06-13 08:28

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#10 2025-06-13 08:54

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#11 2025-06-13 14:56

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#12 2025-06-13 15:27

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#13 2025-06-13 16:37

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#14 2025-06-13 16:47

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#15 2025-06-13 17:40

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#16 2025-06-13 23:46

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#17 2025-06-13 23:50

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#18 Yesterday 09:44

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#19 Yesterday 15:55

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#20 Yesterday 16:26

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#21 Yesterday 19:27

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#22 Yesterday 21:11

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#23 Yesterday 21:18

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#24 Yesterday 21:31

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

#25 Yesterday 21:40

Re: How to alter Caps Lock key behavior? [SOLVED]

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