Change keyboard layout (English UK) on command line to English US

Question

I am using Ubuntu 12.04. The keyboard layout is English US everywhere except for the Command Line where it works in English UK. Terminal also has English US. How do I change the default keyboard layout in Command Line to English US?

Also, I think it might be worth noting here, that when I had installed Ubuntu (dual boot with Windows 8. 1), I had initially set the language as English UK, but later changed it to English US from the system settings.

Solution 1

Update 2017-04-13: This seems to have changed in recent Ubuntu versions and running sudo apt-get install console-common will try to remove other packages. So, for recent Ubuntu versions, use this instead (Tested in 17.04):

sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

---

The simplest way would indeed be as @steeldriver suggested to open a terminal and run this command:

sudo apt-get install console-common

That will install the console-common package and in the process allow you to chose your console layout. If that is already installed, use this to bring up the same wizard and set the layout:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-data

Tested on 13.10, and taken from here.

Solution 2

Run this command:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

This worked for me.

Solution 3

The above didn't work for me, but this did. From terminal enter the following command:

setxkbmap us

Solution 4

I have a console only (without X) Linux running inside a VirtualBox. Needed to change layout from US keyboard to a German one. This worked for me:

loadkeys de

To make it permanent:

localectl set-keymap de

Solution 5

I'm running 14.04 LTS with a standard US keyboard. My problem was that I had relied on the installer to choose US-Intl for me and it caused "dead keys" and improper formation of the " and ' keys (as well as others I don't know about, I'm sure).

After a lot of frustration and trial and error, I ran the "sudo apt-get install console-common" suggestion and it fixed my problem, but only while I was logged in.

When I logged out, restarted the server and back in, it failed.

It only took hold permanently when I executed the "sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration" command and specified the generic US keyboard.

"setxkbmap" did not work for me.

It seems that (I don't KNOW) setxkbmap is obsolete in 14.04 LTS.

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Comments

[terdon]

What exactly is the "Command Line" as opposed to the terminal? Do you mean a virtual console (tty)?

[Evelyn]

CTRL + ALT + F2 brings up the Command Line

[Evelyn]

lang=en_US.UTF-8

[steeldriver]

@terdon I think you second guessed yourself, Ctrl+Alt+F2 should indeed be a virtual terminal (the 'Run Dialog' is plain Alt+F2). I'm not sure if console-setup is installed by default, but perhaps the OP should try sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup?

[terdon]

@steeldriver you are absolutely correct, I did not notice the Ctrl! Thanks, that makes this answerable!

[Evelyn]

@steeldriver Thanks a lot! Your method worked for me.

[terdon]

@user241411 really? You ran sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup? That only gave me options to change encoding and font, not the keyboard layout. I had to run sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-data to get the layout.

[MadMike]

Using Ubutnu 14.04 I was able to set the keyboard on a text-console. But after a reboot it would be reset to the previous settings. Only after issuing a sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configurationI was able to set it permanently.

[demaniak]

Seems like a bit of kludge to do something so seemingly simple - but hey, it worked on a Raspberry PI (running raspbian), so cool, thanks.

[Olaf Dietsche]

This doesn't work anymore with 16.04. Installing console-common wants to remove packages cryptsetup, plymouth, lightdm, and some others. dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration does work however.

[zzapper]

This worked for me when using Chrome Remote Desktop to Mint even though the keyword layout is correct when logged in normally.

[zeng_overflow]

Goddamn it. After I ran this command and reboot, it stuck at the purple blank screen. Turns out this command also removed plymouth and unity. @OlafDietsche is right!

[Alex]

Thanks to you I found the solution for me, running my server in VNC. Your command changes it temporarily. To make it permanent I used localectl set-keymap de.

[Augustin Riedinger]

I needed to reboot so that it takes effect, could you mention it in the answer? Cheers

[AK_]

2018 - working on Ubuntu 11.x

[defiant]

@AugustinRiedinger I didn't have to reboot to get that into effect.

[CatMan]

Thanks. This works on a fresh server 16.04 install out of the box. The above setxkbmap solution requires to install some X11 utils, which IMHO did not seem the right thing to do on a server.

[Lorenzo Lerate]

For Spanish use: loadkeys es

[Miguel Ortiz]

No reboot is required.

[zzapper]

and me wanting to go the other way (mint) setxkbmap gb

[hrvoj3e]

setxkbmap working on arch (loadkeys not)

[josephdpurcell]

> sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration This worked for me.

[Black]

@Alex, Command not found

[Dig]

Yes, running 16.04 (Thinkpad T430) and sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration worked a treat for me. Did not have to reboot just chose Generic 105 Int Keyboard and UK layout to recover my Keyboard after it had mysteriously change to US layout... Thanks

[Timo]

I am on LUbuntu 20?04. Does not work, do I have to reload the terminal or restart pc

[Timo]

Works on LUbuntu 20_04

[Timo]

Works not permanently

[Zheng Qu]

I had to logout and back in to have it taking effect. [i3wm]

[Jon Bentley]

Doesn't work in Ubuntu 20.04 server in freshly installed KVM machine. Applied UK layout, still have US layout.

[Bobble]

Note for UK keyboard use 'gb'

[Joseph Garvin]

If I have a custom kmap file how do I make it show up in this list? Or a custom xkb symbols file?

[polendina]

for american-english (which is presumably the qwerty) sudo loadkeys us , os : ubuntu 10.04LTS

[Derkades]

It did require a reboot for be (Debian 11), so I guess if it doesn't work do try rebooting, even though it appears to work without a reboot for some.

[Admin]

This does not answer the OP. Locale and keyboard are quite unrelated.