One of the most useless keys on any computer keyboard is CapsLock. It might be useful IF YOU ARE PRONE TO YELLING AND
USING LOTS OF !!!!!11!!!!!, but in that case I don’t want to read anything you write :-)
One can put CapsLock to a better use by remapping it to produce a different signal. What signal that may be is up to
your personal needs. Personally, I have it remapped as AltGr (right Alt key). On a German keyboard you have to rather
awkwardly press AltGr+7, 8, 9, 0 to get the braces and brackets {, [, ], } we developers need so
often. With the remapping, I can comfortably press the CapsLock key with my left hand and the key for the brace I
need with the right.
How is it done? For Linux (or anything with X windows, probably), you just create a file called .Xmodmap (note the dot
in front!) with the following contents:
keycode 66 = ISO_Level3_Shift NoSymbol
After logging out and back in, ‘Xmodmap’ might ask you to confirm you really want the remapping, and then You’ll have
CapsLock working as AltGr.
For Windows, you need to edit the registry:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,38,e0,3a,00,00,00,00,00
For convenience, you can copy & paste the above text into a file called caps2ralt.reg, double click it, and Windows
will automatically import the setting into its registry. One reboot later you too will have your CapsLock uselessness
fixed. (The registry is a fragile and horrible piece of cruft, it may have a nervous breakdown any time you touch it.
You edit it at your own risk!)