---
name: "xkbcomp"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xorg-xkbcomp"
version: "1.5.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xkbcomp"
---

# xkbcomp(1)

compile XKB keyboard description

## NAME

xkbcomp - compile XKB keyboard description

## SYNOPSIS

**xkbcomp** \[*option*\] *source* \[*destination*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **xkbcomp** keymap compiler converts a description of an XKB keymap into one of several output formats. The most common use for xkbcomp is to create a compiled keymap file (*.xkm* extension) which can be read directly by XKB-capable X servers or utilities. The keymap compiler can also produce C header files or XKB source files. The C header files produced by xkbcomp can be included by X servers or utilities that need a built-in default keymap. The XKB source files produced by **xkbcomp** are fully resolved and can be used to verify that the files which typically make up an XKB keymap are merged correctly or to create a single file which contains a complete description of the keymap.

The *source* may specify an X display, or an *.xkb* or *.xkm* file; unless explicitly specified, the format of *destination* depends on the format of the source. Compiling a *.xkb* (keymap source) file generates a *.xkm* (compiled keymap file) by default. If the source is a *.xkm* file or an X display, **xkbcomp** generates a keymap source file by default.

If the *destination* is an X display, the keymap for the display is updated with the compiled keymap.

The name of the *destination* is usually computed from the name of the source, with the extension replaced as appropriate. When compiling a single map from a file which contains several maps, **xkbcomp** constructs the destination file name by appending an appropriate extension to the name of the map to be used.

## OPTIONS

- **-a**

  Show all keyboard information, reporting implicit or derived information as a comment. Only affects *.xkb* format output.

- **-C**

  Produce a C header file as output (.h extension).

- **-dflts**

  Compute defaults for any missing components, such as key names.

- **-em1 *msg***

  Print *msg* before printing first error message.

- **-emp *msg***

  Print *msg* at the start of each message line.

- **-eml *msg***

  If there were any errors, print *msg* before exiting.

- **-help, -?**

  Show available options.

- **-I*dir***

  Specifies top-level directories to be searched for files included by the keymap description. After all directories specified by **-I** options have been searched, the current directory and finally, the default xkb directory /usr/share/X11/xkb will be searched.

  To prevent the current and default directories from being searched, use the **-I** option alone (i.e. without a directory), before any **-I** options that specify the directories you do want searched.

- **-i *deviceid***

  If *source* or *destination* is a valid X display, load the keymap from/into the device with the specified ID (not name).

- **-l**

  List maps that specify the *map* pattern in any files listed on the command line (not implemented yet).

- **-m *name***

  Specifies a map to be compiled from an file with multiple entries.

- **-merge**

  Merge the compiled information with the map from the server (not implemented yet).

- **-o *name***

  Specifies a name for the generated output file. The default is the name of the source file with an appropriate extension for the output format.

- **-opt *parts***

  Specifies a list of optional parts. Compilation errors in any optional parts are not fatal. Parts may consist of any combination of the letters *c*, *g*, *k*, *s*, and *t*,  which specify the compatibility map, geometry, keycodes, symbols and types, respectively.

- **-R*dir***

  Specifies the root directory for relative path names.

- **-synch**

  Force synchronization for X requests.

- **-version**

  Print version number.

- **-w *lvl***

  Controls the reporting of warnings during compilation.  A warning level of 0 disables all warnings; a warning level of 10 enables them all.

- **-xkb**

  Generate a source description of the keyboard as output (.xkb extension).

- **-xkm**

  Generate a compiled keymap file as output (.xkm extension).

## SEE ALSO

[**setxkbmap**(1)](/setxkbmap/1.md), [**X**(7)](/X/7.md), [**xkeyboard-config**(7)](/xkeyboard-config/7.md)

## AUTHOR

Erik Fortune, Silicon Graphics