Find, peek and test the keymaps your Linux system can load, both for consoles and X. 16.12.2025 | reading time: 3 min Want to list and test the keyboard maps that can be loaded on a Linux host? This short, hands-on guide shows commands to discover available keymaps, inspect the currently loaded map and perform safe tests on console and X. Quick discovery Locate available keymaps and get a fast look at the active console mapping with these commands and sample output:\n```bash\n$ localectl list-keymaps | grep -i us\nus\n$ ls /usr/share/keymaps | head -n 5\ni386\nqwerty\npc\n$ dumpkeys | head -n 8\nkeycode 1 = Escape\nkeycode 2 = 1 exclam\nkeycode 3 = 2 at\nkeycode 4 = 3 numbersign\n```\nThe first command queries systemd's keymap catalog, the second shows on-disk console keymaps, and dumpkeys prints the currently loaded console mapping. Inspect current mapping Check what the system thinks is active and what X is using: `localectl status` shows the VC keymap and X11 layout, `dumpkeys` reveals console keycode-to-keysym pairs, and `setxkbmap -query` reports the X keyboard state; together these let the admin compare what is available and what is loaded. Test before you commit Test a console keymap live with `loadkeys some-map` and revert by reloading the original or by switching virtual terminals; for X use `setxkbmap -layout us` to try a layout in the current session without editing config files, and use `xkbcomp $DISPLAY -` to dump the X keyboard description for deeper inspection. Persist and customize To make changes survive reboot, set the console keymap with `localectl set-keymap NAME` or edit `/etc/vconsole.conf` for systemd systems; X layouts are commonly persisted under `/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/` or via desktop settings, and custom keymaps can be stored in `/usr/share/keymaps` or in a site directory and loaded at boot. When keys misbehave If keys produce the wrong characters, check the chain: scancode (kernel) -> keycode (console) -> keysym (X); tools such as `showkey` expose scancodes on a virtual console and `dumpkeys`/`xkbcomp` help pinpoint where a translation is wrong so the admin can patch a map or apply a temporary load. Next steps Inspecting loadable keyboards is a small but practical skill that helps when supporting multilingual systems or custom hardware; explore the commands shown here, write a small custom map and persist it to learn the full workflow, and consider deeper Linux study or a certification such as CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 with intensive exam preparation at bitsandbytes.academy. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. utilities setup troubleshooting
