---
name: "kbdmap"
section: "1"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/kbdmap"
---

# kbdmap(1)

system video console keyboard map/font dialog utilities

## NAME

**kbdmap**, **vidfont** – system video console keyboard map/font dialog utilities

## SYNOPSIS

**kbdmap** \[**-K**\] \[**-V**\] \[**-d** \| **-default**\] \[**-h** \| **-help**\] \[**-l** \| **-lang** *language*\] \[**-p** \| **-print**\] \[**-r** \| **-restore**\] \[**-s** \| **-show**\] \[**-v** \| **-verbose**\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **kbdmap** utility allows easy setting of available keymaps. The **vidfont** command allows the setting of fonts. Both examine a database for the keymaps and fonts. Descriptions are in English by default, but may also be in other languages. These programs are interactive and expect to run in a terminal to get required input (e.g., a keymap selection) from the user.

It is strongly recommended to not choose MSDOS codepage keymaps or fonts. Use the ISO standard version if available! X11 does not support MSDOS codepage.

The following options are available:

- **-K**

  Run as command **kbdmap**.

- **-V**

  Run as command **vidfont**.

- **-d**, **-default**

  Use default language. Ignore LANG environment variable.

- **-h**, **-help**

  Print options and exit.

- **-l**, **-lang** *language*

  Use *language* for description and menu.

- **-p**, **-print**

  Print description of available keymaps or fonts to stdout and exit.

- **-r**, **-restore**

  Load default font from */etc/rc.conf*.

- **-s**, **-show**

  Show currently supported languages and exit.

- **-v**, **-verbose**

  More warnings.

## ENVIRONMENT

- LANG

  preferred language

## FILES

- */usr/share/syscons/keymaps/INDEX.keymaps*

  - */usr/share/vt/keymaps/INDEX.keymaps*

  database for keymaps

- */usr/share/syscons/fonts/INDEX.fonts*

  - */usr/share/vt/fonts/INDEX.fonts*

  database for fonts

- */etc/rc.conf*

  default font

- */usr/local/share/locale/locale.alias*

  describe common LANG values

## SEE ALSO

[dialog(1)](/dialog/1.md), [kbdcontrol(1)](/kbdcontrol/1.md), [vidcontrol(1)](/vidcontrol/1.md), [syscons(4)](/syscons/4.md), [vt(4)](/vt/4.md), [kbdmap(5)](/kbdmap/5.md), [rc.conf(5)](/rc.conf/5.md)

## HISTORY

The **kbdmap** and **vidfont** commands appeared in FreeBSD 2.1.

## AUTHORS

Wolfram Schneider ⟨*wosch@FreeBSD.org*⟩ wrote the original Perl version. The current version was rewritten in C by Jonathan Belson ⟨*jon@witchspace.com*⟩ for FreeBSD 5.0.

## BUGS

The **kbdmap** and **vidfont** utilities work only on a (virtual) console and not with X11.