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If I want to switch between two keyboard layouts (gb and apl) by holding down the right ctrl key, I can run:

setxkbmap -layout gb,apl -variant ,dyalog -option grp:rctrl_switch

Is there anything equivalent for the left ctrl key? I've tried grp:lctrl_switch and grp:ctrl_switch and searched /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst, no luck.

(To head off criticism: yes, I know I'll need left-ctrl for other things. I have scripts that rerun setxkbmap to enable/disable the extra layout. I just need a way of binding the layout switch to left-ctrl.)

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There is no switching for left control, only toggling.

There are two modes for layout switching

  1. You press and hold the special key, then the alphabetic-key works on alternate layout. The special keys for such are called "grp:key_switch". There is no Left Control in this group.
  2. You hit a special key once and whole set of alphabetic keys are now on an alternate (or back to default) layout. These keys are "grp:key_toggle". This group has ability to use Left Control as a single switch.

If you want to have the Left Control as a hold-switch, you would have to modify the xkbd itself. Possible, but too much hustle.

More realistic - choose some other key. For example Left Windows (lwin_switch) or Left Alt (lswitch).

As another alternative - use some other keyboard system, kbd for example.

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