Ubuntu without “win key”
This post is an adaptation of one post I made on my portuguese blog. It may contain some write errors (especially on manicurist part).
One day I was talking with my friend (and GSoC Guy) Lucas Veloso, and I solved a problem that bother many Linux users: the use of “win key”.


May we call “ubu key”?
Step-by-step for win key “removal” e ubu key “install”:
- With a nail sandpaper, sand the top of the key until you see no image there (be careful to don’t damage the key).
- Alternative: According Lucas, if you use a transparent nail polish on the key and remove it using acetone (after a while), the image can be erase easily.
- After remove the image, pass nail polish on the key.
- Print the image you want to put on the key on a normal sheet (i made it 0,6cm x 0,6cm).
- Pass transparent nail polish on both sides of the sheet over the image. The sheet will become a little “plastic”.
- Cut the image carefully, using a knife.
- Paste the image on the key (you may paste with the nail polish) and pass more nail polish to fix it and protect.
- The end.
Wow, I’m talking like a manicurist…
Below is a picture of Lucas’ keyboard, in a different version, as you can see:

Another keyboard that I like is the one of Jose Vitor:
His girlfriend made it for him, inspired by my portuguese post.
PS: Here goes the template made with inkscape to create the “ubu key”.
PS2: Yesterday I saw one “Ubuntu keyboard” for sale. It looks nice…


Too bad neither Gnome nor Ubuntu bind the “Win” key. Wouldn’t it make sense to bind it to the “Main Menu” by default?
I highly disagree with decorating the Windows key like this, because as Petrosyan pointed out, it doesn’t bind to anything useful by default.
It is a very intuitively labelled key for Windows systems — i.e., the glyph on the key matches the glyph on the menu that it triggers. However, on Ubuntu, pressing the “Ubuntu key” doesn’t do anything at all. Not intuitive at all — I do not think the key deserves such an outstanding label. It should simply have a text label of “Meta” or “Super” or something like that.
[...] Andre Noel » Blog Archive » Ubuntu without “win key” Replace your keyboard’s Windows key with your own design. Detailed directions on how to remove the Windows logo and apply your own (tags: linux howto hardware) Bookmark to: [...]
The Super key (aka the “Win” key) is very useful for Compiz Fusion shortcuts.
Jeremy,
This method allows you to label the key the way you want. If I label it with ubuntu logo, I can also bind it to the main menu. I suggest the customization on the post. You do what (and if) you want to.
Very Clever, Thanks for the instructions-