Loadkeys

loadkeys is a Linux command-line utility used to load a keyboard translation table, or keymap, for the Linux console. It is part of the keymaps component of the kbd package. The console uses the loaded keymap to translate physical key presses into characters, including handling modifiers, dead keys, and special keys. loadkeys affects the currently active virtual consoles (such as /dev/tty1 through /dev/ttyN) and does not modify input handling in graphical environments like X or Wayland.

Keymaps are stored under /usr/share/keymaps and related subdirectories. On many systems, built-in layouts are organized by architecture and layout name, such as i386/qwerty/us.map.gz. You can load a built-in keymap by providing its name, for example: loadkeys us. You can also load a custom keymap file by specifying a path to the map file, for example: loadkeys /path/to/mykeymap.map.gz. Keymap files are commonly gzipped, with the .map.gz extension.

Privileges and scope: loading a keymap typically requires root privileges. The change applies to the current console session. It is not persistent across reboots unless the system is configured to load a keymap at startup (for example via console-setup, systemd-localectl, or init scripts).

Related tools and concepts include dumpkeys, which displays the current keymap, and broader keyboard configuration practices for the Linux console. Loadkeys is distinct from graphical environment keyboard configuration tools, which manage layouts for X or Wayland rather than the console.