uk-mac-xkb-symbols-config

evdev.xml

<!-- Amend the uk mac variants in /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml -->
...
        <variant>
          <configItem>
            <name>mac</name>
            <description>English (UK, Macintosh)</description>
          </configItem>
        </variant>
<!-- START OF ADDITION -->
        <variant>
          <configItem>
            <name>macfixed</name>
            <description>English (UK, Macintosh, Fixed)</description>
          </configItem>
        </variant>
<!-- END OF ADDITION -->
        <variant>
          <configItem>
            <name>mac_intl</name>
            <description>English (UK, intl., Macintosh)</description>
          </configItem>
        </variant>
...

gb

// Add this to /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/gb
partial alphanumeric_keys
xkb_symbols "macfixed" {

    // Describes the differences between a very simple en_US
    // keyboard and a very simple U.K. keyboard layout

    include "latin"

    name[Group1]= "English (UK, Macintosh, Fixed)";

    key <AE02> {	[               2,              at,         EuroSign	]	};
    key <AE03> {	[               3,      numbersign ]	};
    key <LSGT> {	[         sterling,     plusminus ]	};
    key <TLDE> {	[           grave,      asciitilde ]	};

    include "level3(ralt_switch)"
    include "level3(enter_switch)"
};

In Gnome Settings, you can then choose English (United Kingdom), English (UK, Macintosh, Fixed). (You may need to reboot / restart X11 to get things working correctly)

This will then give you the usual UK mac layout albeit:

• Shift+3 is # (as I commonly need this when programming)
• Ensures ~/` are mapped to the correct key (for some reason the UK Macintosh layout always ends up swapped with §/± for me)
• This also replaces § (section) with £ (as I have no use for § but occasional use for £)

Thanks for this. Still getting the § sign rather than the pound sterling sign with this setup though.