Bug 502639 - Ability to rep-map Copilot key to something useful
Summary: Ability to rep-map Copilot key to something useful
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: kwin
Classification: Plasma
Component: input (show other bugs)
Version: 6.3.4
Platform: unspecified Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KWin default assignee
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-04-10 10:54 UTC by rapteon
Modified: 2025-04-11 19:14 UTC (History)
6 users (show)

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Description rapteon 2025-04-10 10:54:10 UTC
Mapping Microsoft Copilot key to Control key

The copilot key on Windows laptops has replaced the right control key on most laptops as of 2025.
However, the right control key still has its uses, especially in applications such as Virtualbox.
It would be nice to have the possibility of remapping the copilot key as the right control key using
the keybindings settings.
There are already quite a few remappings available for under the `Ctrl position`  dropdown in the keybindings
section.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Gentoo: 2.17
KDE Plasma: 6.2.5
KDE Frameworks: 6.10.0
Qt: 6.8.2
Kernel version: 6.12.21 
macOS:
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2025-04-10 14:08:17 UTC
It's terrible, yes. I keep hoping the industry will come to its senses and reinstate the proper Control key.

It would be ideal if we could offer a way to re-map this key, yes — either by doing it ourselves, or by hooking into (presumably new) XKB functionality to do it.
Comment 2 rapteon 2025-04-11 09:17:37 UTC
Thanks for the quick reply Nathan.
How can I contribute a fix for this?
I can probably take a look at this if there are some docs for reference.
Comment 3 Wismill 2025-04-11 09:49:25 UTC
I think it is better tackled in xkeyboard-config. Please open a ticket at https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xkeyboard-config/xkeyboard-config/issues with some  laptop pictures as evidence. 

Once we have a fix, anybody should be able to use it without waiting for the xkeyboard-config release, using a user configuration. Further info at: https://xkbcommon.org/doc/current/user-configuration.html.
Comment 4 Wismill 2025-04-11 09:54:47 UTC
Oh my, I now remember that the Copilot key sends in fact `Win + Shift + F23`, so it may not be that easy to remap using only XKB, because not all applications handle *consumed* modifiers correctly (e.g. they will still see Win+Shift in addition to the expected Control).

So either Plasma handles it, or you may be better served with remapping tools, e.g. keyd, KMonad or Kanata.