Linux on MacBook

Installation of Ubuntu/Linux on MacBook is straightforward nowadays. However, there are a few small things that may need to be improved.

Keyboard

Remapping the Alt_R to Delete

This can be done either with xmodmap or xkb manipulation.

xmodmap

Edit the ~/.Xmodmap file:

Then run this to test

xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap

Add the same command to the Startup Aplications.

Note, this may not survive wakeup from Sleep.

xkb

Make a backup of /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev and edit it as follows

	//<RALT> = 108;
...
	// Assign Delete to R_opt
	<DELE> = 108;
	//<DELE> = 119;

Remapping the CMD_L to Control

Make a backup of /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev and edit it as follows

	// Swap Rctrl and LCmd 
	<RCTL> = 133;
	//<RCTL> = 105;
...
	// Microsoft keyboard extra keys
	//<LWIN> = 133;

Reversing the Fn key

As an example, to make F10 act as F10 instead of Mute, we need to reverse the Fn key, so that by default the F keys act as the F keys and with Fn+F* they do the extended functions.

Do this:

sudo bash -c "echo 2 > /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/fnmode"