Estimated build time: 1 minute Estimated required disk space: 8 MB
Install Kbd by running the following commands:
./configure --datadir=/usr/share/kbd && make && make install
When using the loadkeys program from this package, don't use the -d option to load a default keymap file. It won't work properly with keymaps that include other keymaps.
--datadir=/usr/share/kbd: This puts the kbd data files (fonts, keymaps, and such) in the /usr/share/kbd directory, as the FHS suggests.
The Kbd package contains the chvt, deallocvt, dumpkeys, fgconsole, getkeycodes, kbd_mode, kbdrate, loadkeys, loadunimap, mapscrn, psfxtable, resizecons, screendump, setfont, setkeycodes, setleds, setmetamode, setvesablank, showfont, showkey, unicode_start, and unicode_stop programs. There are some other programs that don't get installed by default, as they are very optional. Take a look at the Kbd package contents if you have trouble with your console.
chvt changes foreground virtual terminal.
deallocvt deallocates unused virtual terminals.
dumpkeys dumps keyboard translation tables.
fgconsole prints the number of the active virtual terminal.
getkeycodes prints the kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table.
kbd_mode reports or sets the keyboard mode.
kbdrate sets the keyboard repeat and delay rates.
loadkeys loads keyboard translation tables.
loadunimap loads the kernel unicode-to-font mapping table.
mapscrn loads a user defined output character mapping table into the console driver. Note that it is obsolete and that its features are built into setfont.
psfxtable is a tool for handling Unicode character tables for console fonts.
resizecons changes the kernel idea of the console size.
A screen shot utility for the console.
This lets you change the EGA/VGA fonts in console.
setkeycodes loads kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table entries.
setleds sets the keyboard LEDs. Many people find it useful to have numlock enabled by default, and it is by using this program that you can achieve this.
setmetamode defines the keyboard meta key handling.
This lets you fiddle with the built-in hardware screensaver (not toasters, only a blank screen).
showfont displays data about a font. The information shown includes font information, font properties, character metrics, and character bitmaps.
showkey examines the scancodes and keycodes sent by the keyboard.
unicode_start puts the console in Unicode mode.
unicode_stop reverts keyboard and console from unicode mode.
Kbd-1.06 needs the following to be installed:
sh from the bash package
as from the binutils package
ld from the binutils packag
strip from the binutils package
bison from the bison package
cp from the fileutils package
install from the fileutils package
ln from the fileutils package
mv from the fileutils package
rm from the fileutils package
flex from the flex package
cpp from the gcc package
gcc from the gcc package
gunzip from the gzip package
gzip from the gzip package
make from the make package
sed from the sed package
uname from the sh-utils package