Windows key / super key / meta key

[fhsm]

My laptop (thinkpad t43) didn't come with a windows key on the keyboard. Under XP, IBM gave me a utility to map the right alt key to act like the windows key.

How I can do the same thing in ubuntu? My searching has left me without an answer at a level I can understand and a bit confused about nomenclature: what's the difference between a super key and a meta key?

[fhsm]

After a lot of googling I tried the following

put 'keysym Alt_R = Super_R' into ~/.Xmodmap and run

 xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap

To check the setup use xev. Which I did and get the following when pressing the right alt key:

 KeyPress event, serial 35, synthetic NO, window 0x2200001,
    root 0x65, subw 0x0, time 1298472, (286,-242), root:(897,395),
    state 0x0, keycode 108 (keysym 0xffec, Super_R), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

Whereas my left alt key, amongst other differences, shows up as Alt_L, not Super_R.

Problem is my right alt is still working as an alt key not as a super key. Suggestions?

[robobot]

Try replacing 'keysym Alt_R = Super_R' with 'keysym Alt_L = Super_L'. That should map your left Alt key to left Super.

[fhsm]

For anyone interested down the road the fix for this is in my case is ~/.Xmodmap:

! Make the right alt key say that it is a Super / Meta key
keycode 108 = Super_R Meta_R Super_R Meta_R Super_R Meta_R
! Add those codes to the correct modifiers 
add mod1 = Meta_R
add mod4 = Super_R
! remove them from the default mod lists
remove mod1 = Super_R
remove mod1 = Alt_R

worth noting if you try to apply this at the command line you'll get an error. If however you let it auto apply on boot everything will work just fine.

[jdb-JimBo]

After a lot of googling I tried the following

put 'keysym Alt_R = Super_R' into ~/.Xmodmap and run

 xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap

To check the setup use xev. Which I did and get the following when pressing the right alt key:

 KeyPress event, serial 35, synthetic NO, window 0x2200001,
    root 0x65, subw 0x0, time 1298472, (286,-242), root:(897,395),
    state 0x0, keycode 108 (keysym 0xffec, Super_R), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

Whereas my left alt key, amongst other differences, shows up as Alt_L, not Super_R.

Problem is my right alt is still working as an alt key not as a super key. Suggestions?

fhsm's post above worked Great!

I also have an IBM / Lenovo Thinkpad with NO Windows keys, this ~/.Xmodmap
entry did the trick, and Quick! Thanks fhsm!!! Unity should be a little easier now?

JimBo