xkbcomp ☆
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Description:
XKB keyboard description compiler
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: System utilities
Tags: x11 keyboard xkb system-utility input
Install: brew install xkbcomp
About:
xkbcomp is a command-line utility that compiles keyboard descriptions from a human-readable source format into a binary XKB configuration. It enables users to create custom keyboard layouts, modify key behaviors, and define complex input mappings. This tool is essential for system administrators and power users needing precise control over input devices on X Window System environments.
Key Features:
  • Compiles XKB source files (.xkb) into binary keymap files (.xkm)
  • Supports dumping existing server keymaps to source format for editing
  • Enables fine-grained control over keyboard geometry, symbols, and actions
  • Provides detailed debugging output for layout validation
Use Cases:
  • Creating custom keyboard layouts for specialized hardware or languages
  • Debugging and fixing keyboard mapping issues in X11 sessions
  • Migrating keyboard configurations between different systems
Alternatives:
  • setxkbmap – Higher-level tool for loading pre-compiled layouts; xkbcomp is needed for creating or modifying the underlying layout definitions
  • localectl – Systemd utility for managing system-wide locale settings; less granular than xkbcomp for custom keymap development
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 11, 2025 4:11am 0 VERSION_BUMP 30d0e7a7
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