---
name: "xkbsel"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xkbsel"
version: "0.13-12"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xkbsel"
---

# xkbsel(1)

select keyboard layout

## NAME

xkbsel - select keyboard layout

## SYNOPSIS

**xkbsel** \[-v\] \[--debug\] \[-s\] *MAP*\
 **xkbsel** \[-v\] \[--debug\] {-n,-p}\
 **xkbsel** {--help,--version}

## DESCRIPTION

**xkbsel** is a command-line interface for selecting the keyboards, suitable for installing as action bound to some key combination in a window manager, inclusion in scripts or plain command-line usage. **xkbsel** supports following options:

- **-s** *MAP*, **--select**=*MAP*

  selects the named *MAP*

- **-n**, **--next**

  select the next map in the ordering defined by the configuration file

- **-p**, **--previous**

  select the previous map in the ordering defined by the configuration file

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

  be verbose

- **--debug**

  be very verbose

- **--help**

  output brief usage instructions

- **--version**

  output the version of the program

The *MAP* can be specified either as full XKB name (e.g. *xfree86(us)* or *sun/de(type4\_de)*), or as a shortcut defined in the configuration file. The options **-n** and **-p** only work when the current mapping was specified in the shortcut form - otherwise they select the first and the last map respectively.

## FILES

- **/etc/xkbsel.conf**

  system configuration file

- **~/.xkbsel/xkbsel.conf**

  user´s configuration file

## SEE ALSO

[**xkbseldb**(1)](/xkbseldb/1.md), [**xkbsel-aw**(1)](/xkbsel-aw/1.md), [**xkbsel**(5)](/xkbsel/5.md)

## AUTHOR

Stanislav Meduna \<stano@trillian.eunet.sk\>