Keyboard Settings

CrunchBang relies on Openbox as its configuration tool, but unfortunately the developers of Openbox forget about the keyboard. So if you want to change keyboard settings like the repeat delay and repeat rate, here is one way:

• Download and install the xfce-mcs-settings tools in your package manager:

sudo apt-get install xfce-mcs-settings

See this page for help on installing applications.

• Type “xfce-setting-show” into the terminal or run dialog, (see this page for adding it to your main menu).

• Use the GUI that pops up to tweak your keyboard settings, then close it.

Check your settings using a couple of apps. Like them? Good. Are we done? No! The next time you reboot you'll lose your settings. The xfce-mcs-settings tool will have remembered them, but it won't be able to apply them because it hasn't been run. So:

• Open autostart.sh and add “xfce-mcs-manager” to it and save, see here for details on autostarting applications.

The manager will now automatically run on start-up and apply those settings. So you're done. Use “xfce-setting-show” again when you next want to alter those settings.

Users of CrunchBang 9.04.xx (Jaunty) can use lxinput.

• First add the U-lite Neko PPA to your sources.list
• Open a terminal and run this command in a terminal to add the PGP key and update your sources.list file:

   sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 4E7CF744 && sudo apt-get update

• Install lxinput:

   sudo apt-get install lxinput

• Then just run lxinput and change your keyboard settings:

lxinput

There's a simple command called “kbrate” that looks like its should work. It doesn't, so spare yourself the frustration. Instead use the almost as simple xset. Which you should add to your autostart.sh if you want your settings to be permanent.