ksuperkey - open the KDE Kickoff menu using the Win key (Super) button in Ubuntu, Kubuntu and other versions of Linux

After switching from Windows to Linux and KDE, many users experience severe torment and dizziness due to the inability to configure the KDE Kickoff launch menu to open using the familiar Win button on the keyboard. Among these users was me, not so much because of the habit, but more because the Win button on the keyboard occupies a useless place and is not used. Moreover, I very long and hard searched and tested various solutions to this problem, but none of them worked normally or required almost to recompile the kernel.

But one day I found a great and easy-to-use solution - a small ksuperkey program that does this magic and is very easy to install. It is enough to install it, add it to autorun, and immediately everything will work as it should. Moreover, keyboard shortcuts of the form Win + D remain working.

The official website of the program: github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey
Notification of new versions and discussion: kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=154569

In Ubuntu and Kubuntu, the program ksuperkey can be installed using a “couple of clicks” from PPA: launchpad.net/~mehanik/+archive/ksuperkey in the following way via the GUI:

1. Run the “Muon Package Management Program” or for older versions it may be called “Package Manager”, “Program Manager”, “Software center”, KPackageKit, Synaptic, etc.:


2. Go to the Settings menu - Configure program sources, enter the administrator password, the “Program Sources” or “Software Sources” window should open:


3. Open the “Other programs” tab, click the “Add” button and add in the field that appears: ppa: mehanik / ksuperkey


4. Click “Close”, click the “Check updates” button, then type ksuperkey in the search and click on line, after that we click in the lower right corner the button “Mark for Installation”:


5. Click "Apply Changes", after installation we close the program, restart the computer and enjoy the working Win (Super key) button.

A faster way to install through the console:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mehanik/ksuperkey
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ksuperkey

For other Linux distributions, the program can be installed using compilation from the source, instructions can be found here: kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=154569

After installation, pressing the Win button will emulate pressing Alt + F1 and the corresponding action will be performed, which by default opens the Kickoff menu. At the same time, other keyboard combinations of the Win + D or Win + R type continue to work normally, unlike other solutions of the form of reassigning the Win button to the F13 button via xmodmap. Accordingly, now, by pressing Win, you can configure any action you need without unnecessary dancing with a tambourine.

After installation, the program may not work right away for the following reasons:

1. The Win button has already been reassigned through Xmodmap. To disable this, you need to delete or modify the .Xmodmap file in your home folder.

2. The Win button is marked as the Meta button in the KDE settings. To disconnect, you need to open the System Settings - Input Devices - Keyboard - Advanced and remove all the daws associated with the Win button:


In other cases, everything started working for me right after rebooting without unnecessary actions.

Additional program settings:

In addition to the main function of opening the Kickoff menu using the Win button, this program can be flexibly configured for any other actions with the left, right Win buttons, Shift, Alt, Ctrl, Menu, and others. It can be configured to work with Lancelot, KRunner and any other programs. To do this, add parameters to the program launch line:
ksuperkey -e 'ModKey=Key[|OtherKey][;NextExpression]'

Where ModKey is the key you want to reassign from the following options:
Control_L Control_R Alt_L Alt_R Super_L Super_R Shift_L Shift_R

OtherKey is the key or combination of keys that you want to emulate.

NextExpression - the next combination, respectively, you can specify as many combinations as needed.

Example of reconfiguring the Win button to launch KRunner (Alt + F2):
ksuperkey -e 'Super_L=Alt_L|F2'

A more complex example - Kickoff opens on the left Ctrl, Win -Krunner on the left, Shift - on the left - Ctrl + S combination:
ksuperkey -e 'Control_L=Alt_L|F1;Super_L=Alt_L|F2;Shift_L=Control_L|S'

To debug the program, you can run it in debug mode using the -d option: The

ksuperkey -d -e 'Control_L=Alt_L|F1;Super_L=Alt_L|F2;Shift_L=Control_L|S'

launch parameters are similar in English on the website programs: kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=154569

If you have any suggestions for the development of the program or bugs are found, then do not hesitate to create themes in the bug tracker of the repository github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey/ issues

Successful use and happiness in life! I hope you now have the Win button will also quickly wear out on the keyboard like the rest, and not remain covered with a layer of dust;)