Transform a *standard* laptop keyboard (with numpad) into a tenkeyless-like keyboard by creating a custom keyboard layout applicable for Gnome and Ubuntu.

Additionally, reprogram keys for **Audio volume** and **Display brightness** (note that the mapping for display brightness does not actually work).

The image represents the changed numpad for a better laptop keyboard usage

Create a custom keyboard layout

Create /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/us_kpnav like this:

// Remapped keypad keys like navigation keys
// Audio volume and Display brightness on KPSU and KPAD

partial keypad_keys
xkb_symbols "us_kpnav" {
    include "pc+us+inet(evdev)"

    replace key <KPMU> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[    Prior ] };
    replace key <KPDV> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[     Home ] };
    replace key  <KP7> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[   Delete ] };
    replace key  <KP8> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[      End ] };
    replace key  <KP9> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[     Next ] };

    replace key  <KP4> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[  Shift_L ] };
    replace key  <KP5> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[       Up ] };
    replace key  <KP6> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[  Shift_R ] };
    replace key  <KP1> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[     Left ] };
    replace key  <KP2> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[     Down ] };
    replace key  <KP3> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[    Right ] };

    replace key <KPSU> { type= "TWO_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[ XF86AudioRaiseVolume, XF86MonBrightnessUp ] };
    replace key <KPAD> { type= "TWO_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[ XF86AudioLowerVolume, XF86MonBrightnessDown ] };

    replace key  <KP0> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[  Shift_L ] };
    replace key <KPDL> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[  Shift_R ] };
    replace key <KPEN> { type= "ONE_LEVEL", symbols[Group1]=[ NoSymbol ] };
};

Add the new keyboard layout to the list of layouts

Edit /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml and add the new layout

<layout>
    <configItem>
    <name>us_kpnav</name>
    <shortDescription>enr</shortDescription>
    <description>English (US) with keypad as nav</description>
    <languageList>
        <iso639Id>eng</iso639Id>
    </languageList>
    </configItem>
</layout>

before the </layoutList> line.

Apply the new layout

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xkb-data

Add the new keyboard layouts in Settings -> Region & Language -> Input Sources.

Ansible

I have created an Ansible role for setting the a new keyboard layout. Check The keyboard role published in the Ansible Ubuntu Workstation repository.

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