How can I make the caps lock key going "beep" when pressed?

English Hardware
1

I press that caps lock key from time to time accidentally without noticing, so I’d like an indicator.

2

I cannot make it beep but you can disable the caps lock key from a terminal type:

setxkbmap -option caps:none

3

I used to have a keyboard LED which indicated caps lock. But my current wireless keyboard doesn’t have that.

I manage. The indicator is when what I type has the wrong capitalization.

4

Not sure about making it beep, but depending on what desktop you use, you might be able to have an on-screen indicator. I use GNOME, and I use an extension called “Lock Keys” that shows me the state of caps lock and num lock.

5

Caps Lock is indeed a useless key so I repurposed it to be the Compose key.

In KDE: Setting → Input Devices → Keyboard → tab Advanced:

Screenshot_20230922_201101

1 Like
6

I made it the Esc key. Less distance to get to it when using vi. :grinning:

But your story is about KDE and the OP did not inform us which DE is in use. And he even may mean his wish to work always, any DE or CLI.

7

@hendersj Lock Keys doesn’t work on 45, but you can just enable a beep for caps lock or num lock in Settings → Accessibility → Seeing and turn on Sound Keys.

1 Like
8

That’s good to know. I’m probably installing the update to GNOME 45 today, expecting to have to deal with a bunch of non-functioning extensions.

9

Thanks @ all for your input. I was brewing beer with my son over the weekend, so I didn’t look here. This is on KDE / Plasma by the way albeit with the German locale(?). Thus I did not (yet) find the Settings → Accessibility → Seeing malcolmlewis suggested which sounds good. But I’ll try later and come back.

10

Hmm. I didn’t find the setting malcolmlewis suggested. But there is (my translation) Input devices - Keyboard and here the tab hardware. I changed the model type to logitech and now there is a split second red screen on the entire monitor following pressing the caps lock key (on as well as off). I can live with that – though I still would like to learn how to beep :wink:.