macOS to Linux Keyboard Configuration Guide

[melonamin]

This guide helps macOS users configure familiar keyboard shortcuts on Linux using keyd and keyd-application-mapper.

Overview

The configuration transforms your Linux keyboard to behave like macOS:

• Cmd key (⌘) maps to Control
• Cmd+Key shortcuts work as expected
• Caps Lock becomes a Meta key
• Terminal copy/paste uses Cmd+C/V

Installation

1. Install keyd:

sudo pacman -S keyd

Basic Configuration

Step 1: Main keyd Configuration

Create /etc/keyd/default.conf:

[ids]
*

[main]
# Cmd keys trigger the cmd layer
leftmeta = layer(cmd)
rightmeta = layer(cmd)

# Caps Lock acts as Cmd
capslock = leftmeta

[cmd:C]
# Essential shortcuts
a = C-a          # Select all
c = C-c          # Copy
v = C-v          # Paste
x = C-x          # Cut
z = C-z          # Undo
s = C-s          # Save
f = C-f          # Find
w = C-w          # Close tab
t = C-t          # New tab
q = C-q          # Quit

# Text navigation
left = C-a       # Beginning of line
right = C-e      # End of line

[cmd]
# Text navigation and selection (Mac-like)
left = home
right = end
shift+left = S-home
shift+right = S-end

Step 2: Terminal Configuration

Create ~/.config/keyd/app.conf for terminal-specific overrides:

# Terminal applications need Ctrl+Shift for copy/paste
[alacritty]
cmd.c = C-S-c
cmd.v = C-S-v

[com-mitchellh-ghostty]
cmd.c = C-S-c
cmd.v = C-S-v
cmd.t = C-S-t
cmd.w = C-S-w
cmd.leftbrace = C-S-tab
cmd.rightbrace = C-tab

Step 3: Enable Services

# Enable keyd
sudo systemctl enable --now keyd

# Set up keyd-application-mapper (user service)
mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user/

cat > ~/.config/systemd/user/keyd-application-mapper.service << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Keyd Application Mapper
After=graphical-session.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/keyd-application-mapper -d
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
EOF

systemctl --user enable --now keyd-application-mapper

Troubleshooting

1. Test your config:

   sudo keyd -m
   # Press keys to see how they're mapped

2. Check service status:

   systemctl status keyd
   systemctl --user status keyd-application-mapper

3. View logs:

   journalctl -u keyd -f
   journalctl --user -u keyd-application-mapper -f

4. Application detection:

   # See which app keyd-application-mapper detects
   keyd-application-mapper -v

Life is too short to fight muscle memory!

UPD1: adjusted terminal config, kudos to @domgom
UPD2: added Mac-like text selection creds to @stefvw93 and @followbl

[followbl]

this really should be a default available option in omarchy, allowing for mac keybinding defaults, this is so good, thanks for sharing, made me feel at home in Omarchy!

[followbl]

@melonamin any ideas on how to add

cmd+shift+left-arrow
cmd+shift+right-arrow

to select the entire line from where the cursor currently is. I cannot get this to work no matter what config I place in.

obviously on linux the exact functionality I want to mimic is

shift+home - selects entire line to the beginning from cursor
shift+end - selects entire line to the end from cursor

if anyone has this solution to work with the above, I would be forever grateful!

[stefvw93]

[cmd:C]
# Essential shortcuts
...

# Text navigation and selection
left = home
right = end
shift+left = S-home
shift+right = S-end

[followbl]

thank you @stefvw93 your comment got me one step closer and I finally got the solution.

[cmd]
# Text navigation and selection (Mac-like)
left = home
right = end
shift+left = S-home
shift+right = S-end

I just needed it in a standalone cmd designation.

[stefvw93]

Ah right, I must've forgot. Works like a charm indeed.

[domgom]

I had to make a few changes for this config to work:

[alacritty|kitty|gnome-terminal|konsole] to [alacritty]

ExecStart=/usr/bin/keyd-application-mapper -d went into restart loop, removing -d worked for me.

Adding my user to the keyd group to be able to read the socket.