Ubuntu without “win key”
November 28, 2007 4:24 pm free software, ubuntuThis 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…
Petrosyan :
Date: November 28, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Too bad neither Gnome nor Ubuntu bind the “Win” key. Wouldn’t it make sense to bind it to the “Main Menu” by default?
Jeremy :
Date: November 28, 2007 @ 7:04 pm
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.
paul cutler’s blog » Blog Archive » links for 2007-11-28 :
Date: November 28, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
[...] 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: [...]
Cyrus Jones :
Date: November 28, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
The Super key (aka the “Win” key) is very useful for Compiz Fusion shortcuts.
Andre Noel :
Date: November 28, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
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.
Laura Perdue :
Date: November 29, 2007 @ 9:00 am
Very Clever, Thanks for the instructions-