How to remap caps lock to esc in Ubuntu 17.10 and terminator?

Question

I want to remap Caps Lock to Esc on my Ubuntu 17.10 laptop.

I have tried this method: How to remap key in Ubuntu 17.10 Wayland? (Up key to Shift), this method: https://linuxcommando.blogspot.ca/2008/03/remap-caps-lock-key-for-virtual-console.html, and this method: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xmodmap to no avail.

Neither work, Caps Lock is still Caps Lock.

How do I remap these keys system wide? It's dead simple in OSX, there is a setting in system preferences to make Caps Lock Esc and that's it, it works in every app. Is there anything similar in Ubuntu 17.10?

Solution 1

Same as tranfuria's answer but on command line:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources xkb-options "['caps:escape']"

Solution 2

You could try the Gnome-tweak-tool, assuming you're running on gnome, if you're on unity, there is a unity-tweak-tool. Both can be installed using apt:

sudo apt-get update

&&

sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

OR

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

in the gnome tweak tool under 'Keyboard & Mouse' there is an option called 'Additional Layout' options, in here you can change capslock key behavior, mapping it to esc, as well as just about anything you want.

Here is a picture as to what it might look like

Comments

[springloaded]

Great, thank you. I wish there was a way to do it via the command line (I use Ansible to setup new machines), but this is much better than nothing!

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@springloaded: Of course there is a command line way to do it too. I showed it in an alternative answer.

[lz96]

Unfortunately in gnome-tweak-tool 3.28.1 this option is removed.

[sudcha]

Is there a way to persist this change? It appears to be gone after a system update through apt dist-upgrade.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@k0pernikus: It should be persistent. Please ask a new question if you found otherwise.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

@lz96: No it's not.