WSKBD(4) | Device Drivers Manual | WSKBD(4)

# NAME

`wskbd` — generic keyboard support in wscons

# SYNOPSIS

`wskbd* at ...`

# DESCRIPTION

The `wskbd` driver handles common tasks for keyboards within the wscons(4) framework. It is attached to the hardware specific keyboard drivers and provides their connection to “wsdisplay” devices and a character device interface.

The common keyboard support consists of:

- Mapping from keycodes (defined by the specific keyboard driver) to keysyms (hardware independent, defined in /usr/include/dev/wscons/wsksymdef.h).
- Handling of “compose” sequences. Characters commonly not present as separate keys on keyboards can be generated after either a special “compose” key is pressed or a “dead accent” character is used.
- Certain translations, like turning an “ALT” modifier into an “ESC” prefix.
- Automatic key repetition (“typematic”).
- Parameter handling for “keyboard bells”.
- Generation of “keyboard events” for use by X servers.

The `wskbd` driver provides a number of ioctl functions to control key maps and other parameters. These functions are accessible through the associated “wsdisplay” device as well. A complete list is in /usr/include/dev/wscons/wsconsio.h. The wsconsctl(8) utility allows access to key maps and other variables.

The console locator in the configuration line refers to the device's use as input part of the operating system console. A device specification containing a positive value here will only match if the device is in use as system console. (The console device selection in early system startup is not influenced.) This way, the console device can be connected to a known `wskbd` device instance.

The `wskbd` driver traps certain key sequences intended to perform special functions. The `Ctrl+Alt+Esc` sequence will initiate the ddb(4) kernel debugger if the “ddb.console” sysctl(8) variable is set. When attached to a wsdisplay(4) device, `Ctrl+Alt+Fx` switches virtual terminals and the `Shift+PgUp` and `Shift+PgDn` combinations provide scrollback functionality if the underlying hardware driver supports it. When audio devices are supported, keys `Mute`, `VolumeUp` and `VolumeDown` tweak mixer settings.

## Keyboard encodings

The following encodings are supported. Device drivers for legacy keyboard interfaces may only support a subset of these. However, generally, all encodings are supported by pckbd(4) and ukbd(4).

wsconsctl | define | language
`user` | `KB_USER` | User-defined
`us` | `KB_US` | English/US keyboard mapping (default)
`uk` | `KB_UK` | English/UK keyboard mapping
`be` | `KB_BE` | Belgian
`br` | `KB_BR` | Brazilian with “dead accents”
`cf` | `KB_CF` | Canadian French
`dk` | `KB_DK` | Danish with “dead accents”
`nl` | `KB_NL` | Dutch
`ee` | `KB_EE` | Estonian with “dead accents”
`fr` | `KB_FR` | French
`de` | `KB_DE` | German QWERTZ with “dead accents”
`hu` | `KB_HU` | Hungarian
`is` | `KB_IS` | Icelandic with “dead accents”
`it` | `KB_IT` | Italian
`jp` | `KB_JP` | Japanese
`la` | `KB_LA` | Latin American Spanish
`no` | `KB_NO` | Norwegian with “dead accents”
`pl` | `KB_PL` | Polish
`pt` | `KB_PT` | Portuguese
`ru` | `KB_RU` | Russian
`es` | `KB_ES` | Spanish
`sv` | `KB_SV` | Swedish with “dead accents”
`sf` | `KB_SF` | Swiss French
`sg` | `KB_SG` | Swiss German
`tr` | `KB_TR` | Turkish (QWERTY) with “dead accents”
`ua` | `KB_UA` | Ukrainian
`us.declk` | `KB_US|KB_DECLK` | English/US mapping for DEC LK400-style keyboards with PC keyboard interface (e.g., LK461)
`us.dvorak` | `KB_US|KB_DVORAK` | English/US keyboard with “Dvorak” layout
`us.colemak` | `KB_US|KB_COLEMAK` | English/US keyboard with “Colemak” layout

The “`.nodead`” suffix (`KB_NODEAD` flag) can be applied to layouts with “dead accents” to switch them off.

The `KB_US`, `KB_UK`, `KB_FR`, `KB_JP` and `KB_US|KB_DVORAK` mappings can be modified to swap the left ⟨Ctrl⟩ and the ⟨CapsLock⟩ keys by the `KB_SWAPCTRLCAPS` variant bit or the “`.swapctrlcaps`” suffix.

The “`.metaesc`” suffix (`KB_METAESC` flag) option can be applied to any layout. If set, keys pressed together with the ALT modifier are prefixed by an ESC character. (Standard behaviour is to add 128 to the ASCII value.)

## Ioctls

The following ioctl(2) calls are provided by the `wskbd` driver or by devices which use it. Their definitions are found in `<dev/wscons/wsconsio.h>`.

`WSKBDIO_GTYPE`
  Get the keyboard type.
`WSKBDIO_GETMODE`
  Get the keyboard mode, 0 means translated through keyboard map, 1 means raw.
`WSKBDIO_SETMODE`
  Set the keyboard mode.
`WSKBDIO_COMPLEXBELL`, `WSKBDIO_SETBELL`, `WSKBDIO_GETBELL`, `WSKBDIO_SETDEFAULTBELL`, `WSKBDIO_GETDEFAULTBELL` (struct wskbd_bell_data)
  Get and set keyboard bell settings.
`WSKBDIO_SETKEYREPEAT`, `WSKBDIO_GETKEYREPEAT`, `WSKBDIO_SETDEFAULTKEYREPEAT`, `WSKBDIO_GETDEFAULTKEYREPEAT` (struct wskbd_keyrepeat_data)
  Get and set keyboard autorepeat settings.
`WSKBDIO_SETLEDS`, `WSKBDIO_GETLEDS` (int)
  Get and set keyboard LED settings.
`WSKBDIO_GETMAP`, `WSKBDIO_SETMAP` (struct wskbd_map_data)
  Get and set keyboard keymapping settings.
`WSKBDIO_GETBACKLIGHT, WSKBDIO_SETBACKLIGHT` (struct wskbd_backlight)
  Get and set keyboard backlight
`WSKBDIO_GETENCODING`, `WSKBDIO_SETENCODING` (kbd_t)
  Get and set keyboard encoding settings.

# FILES

/dev/wskbd*
/usr/include/dev/wscons/wsksymdef.h
/usr/include/dev/wscons/wsconsio.h

# SEE ALSO

akbd(4), comkbd(4), hilkbd(4), intro(4), pckbd(4), ukbd(4), wscons(4), wsmux(4), zskbd(4), wsconsctl(8)

August 16, 2025 | Debian