ksuperkey

Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey

Available as/for: -

Description:

ksuperkey allows you to open the application launcher in KDE Plasma < 5.8 using the Super key (also known as the 'Windows key'). Unlike other solutions, it will not affect your current keyboard shortcuts, as the Super key will still act as a modifier when held down.

Note that ksuperkey does not depend on any specific desktop environment and should work fine on KDE Plasma 4, Plasma 5, GNOME Shell, Unity, Xfce, LXDE, etc.

Also note that this feature is available by default starting from Plasma 5.8.

ksuperkey is a fork of xcape (https://github.com/alols/xcape), most of the work was done by the original author Albin Olsson.

Installation

Distribution-specific instructions

Below is a list of distribution-specific ways to install ksuperkey.

Note that some packages are provided by a third party and that I do not take any responsibility for their contents.

Arch Linux: Available from the official repo ([community])

Chakra: Installed by default, available from the official repo

Debian: https://launchpad.net/~mehanik/+archive/ubuntu/ksuperkey

Fedora: https://copr.fedoraproject.org/coprs/vanoudt/KSuperkey/

Gentoo: emerge ksuperkey

Kubuntu: https://launchpad.net/~mehanik/+archive/ubuntu/ksuperkey

Mint: https://launchpad.net/~mehanik/+archive/ubuntu/ksuperkey

Netrunner: Installed by default, available from the official repo

openSUSE: https://software.opensuse.org/package/ksuperkey

PCLinuxOS: Available from the official repo

Ubuntu: https://launchpad.net/~mehanik/+archive/ubuntu/ksuperkey

Did I miss your favorite distribution? Please add a comment below with instructions on how to install it in your distro!

Compiling from source

If there is no package for ksuperkey for your distribution, you can compile the program from source following these instructions:

1. Install dependencies. On Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install gcc make libx11-dev libxtst-dev pkg-config

On some system you'll also have to install the build-essential package.

2. Download ksuperkey-0.4 (Source) from this page and extract the tar.gz file (using e.g. Ark).

3. Go to the newly extracted directory called ksuperkey, open a terminal (press F4 in Dolphin), and run:

make

3b. Optionally, if you want to install ksuperkey to the standard PATH for all users:

sudo make install

4. Launch ksuperkey:

./ksuperkey

or by clicking on its icon. ksuperkey will run in the background. (If you did step 3b, you can just type "ksuperkey" from anywhere to launch it.)

5. Try to press the left Super key. If the application launcher does not show up, make sure that its shortcut is set to Alt+F1:
right click on the application launcher icon -> Application Launcher Settings -> Keyboard Shortcut.

6. (Optional) Make ksuperkey autostart in System Settings -> Startup and Shutdown -> Autostart -> Add Program... -> Browse button -> select the ksuperkey application.

Change mapping

If you do not like the default mapping (Super_L to Alt+F1), you can tell ksuperkey to use another mapping. The syntax is as follows:

ksuperkey -e 'ModKey=Key[|OtherKey][;NextExpression]'

Looks complicated? Do not worry, it really is not. Let us look at some examples:

Make Super key open KRunner (Alt+F2)

ksuperkey -e 'Super_L=Alt_L|F2'

We have more modifier keys on our keyboard, why not use them?

ksuperkey -e 'Control_L=Alt_L|F1;Super_L=Alt_L|F2;Shift_L=Control_L|S'

This makes the left Ctrl key generate Alt+F1 (application launcher), left Super generate Alt+F2 (KRunner), and left Shift generate Ctrl+S (save the current document) when pressed and released on their own.

Autostart

If you want to add your custom mapping to Autostart:

1. Follow the instructions in 4. under Installation.
2. When you see the dialog with the tabs (General, Permissions, Application, etc.), click on the Application tab.
3. Add the -e option to the Command field. It could look something like this:

/home/myname/ksuperkey/ksuperkey -e 'Super_L=Alt_L|F2'

Troubleshooting

1. ksuperkey does not work.

Make sure that ksuperkey is running (use e.g. the system monitor, Ctrl+Escape) and that it is running only once.

Also check that the keyboard shortcut for the application launcher is set to Alt+F1, see 4. under Installation.

Finally, make sure you do not remap the Super (Win) key, for example in System Settings -> Input Devices -> Keyboard -> Advanced or by using xmodmap.

2. When I try to change the mapping, I get 'command not found: ksuperkey'

When following the installation instructions above, kusperkey will not be installed to $PATH. This means that your shell does not know where to find ksuperkey. Therefore you have to specify the full path to the executable, e.g.

~/ksuperkey/ksuperkey -e 'Super_L=Alt_L|F2'

3. I remap my keys (e.g. using xmodmap) and ksuperkey does not behave as I want it to.

Try to restart ksuperkey every time after doing the remapping. Also make sure that the key you send has a defined keycode.

4. When I type 'make' I get "xcape.c:22:20: fatal error: stdlib.h: No such file or directory"

You need to install the build-essential package, e.g.

sudo apt-get install build-essential

Tips

You no longer have to bind Alt+F1 to the thing you want ksuperkey to trigger, since you can easily change the mapping! (See "Change mapping" section above.)

For more options, see included README.md or the Github page: https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey

Contact

Please post issues to Github:
https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey/issues

I will try to answer questions here.

Last changelog:

5 years ago

0.4
- Allow keycodes in map expressions. [upstream]
- Fix Makefile to make it easier to package.

0.3
- XKeycodeToKeysym has been deprecated, use XkbKeycodeToKeysym instead. [upstream]

0.2
- It is now possible to define your own mappings (e.g. Super_L to Alt+F2) without editing the source code. [upstream]

0.1
- Initial release

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Comments/Ratings

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FraMari
8 years ago

Hi!
I uploaded this package to the CCR (Chakra Community Repository).
Thanks a lot!

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grajesh
8 years ago

Excellent. Can you make it as a simple plasmoid? Using win/super key as in gnome-shell is my dream. The best thing I like in gnome-shell (I'm a KDE user) is the best use of super key. KDE can think something like that for KDE5 - No key is wasted in keyboard then :)

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Mogger
8 years ago

I think this approach is better since it's more general - you can use it for any plasmoid, or, in fact, any action. Also I'm not really interested in putting more work in it since I don't use it myself.

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lnxusr
8 years ago

I like this. It's definitely something I'll be using from now on and have it set to start on login. Is there any way to make it hide the menu and return focus to where it was before pressing the Super key on a secondary pressing? This will make it easier to return to where you were in case of accidental pressing.

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Mogger
8 years ago

> Is there any way to make it hide the menu and return focus to where it was before pressing the Super key on a secondary pressing?

What happens if you press Super the second time? For me it hides the menu and returns focus, as expected. I guess it could depend on your KDE Workspace version (I'm running 4.9.2).

ksuperkey itself only binds pressing Super to Alt+F1, how the secondary press is handled is up to the application launcher. :)

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lnxusr
8 years ago

Oops. Forget to mention the escape key will hide it and return focus to where it was. I guess I can use that method if nothing else.

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lnxusr
8 years ago

> What happens if you press Super the second time? For me it hides the menu and returns focus, as expected.

Nothing happens. The menu stays visible with focus. The only way I can hide it is to click the mouse in the window I want to have focus.

> I guess it could depend on your KDE Workspace version (I'm running 4.9.2).

I too am on 4.9.2. OpenSuse 12.2, but the base OS shouldn't have any effect. Is there a KDE setting somewhere for this that may be defaulted differently between OpenSuse and the other dists?

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Mogger
8 years ago

Hm, that sounds strange. Which application launcher do you use - Kickoff, the traditional one, or something else? I don't think there's an option that controls this.

Does pressing Alt+F1 again close the menu?

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lnxusr
8 years ago

Ahh.. That's it. I do use the default menu, but in "Classic Menu Stile". If I switch back to "Application Launcher Style", it hides on the second press.

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Mogger
8 years ago

In that case I recommend that you file a bug report for the traditional menu at http://bugs.kde.org. I believe that you can also mark it as an extra mile bug: http://community.kde.org/Getinvolved/Extra_Mile

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lnxusr
8 years ago

Done, I think. I really hate KDE's bug traking system. It's confusing as hell, and I'm never sure where to report things or if I'm reporting on the right app/module or whatever. That and very little ever seems to be done with them.

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Contrast
8 years ago

I really like this. I had seen a how-to for making the Super key open the launcher, but it had the caveat of making it no longer work as a modifier key. This is much better, great job!

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