Dealing with multiple keyboard layouts (OSX vs. Windows)

Question

I have two computers; one MacBook Pro and one desktop PC running Windows. For various reasons I prefer writing code on the MacBook, while I keep the desktop PC mostly for gaming and entertainment purposes.

Since I've gotten so used to programming on an OSX keyboard layout, I often find it cumbersome to start working on something while I'm on my Windows computer. And since I'm ridiculously lazy I also find it cumbersome to get my laptop out of my bag so I can switch to using that instead. This usually results in me not bothering to do much work while I'm on my desktop (which depressingly enough is most of my evenings).

I guess I'm looking for a way to quickly enable an OSX keyboard layout in Windows. I'd also like to run Ubuntu in a VM on Windows, and use the OSX keyboard there as well.

Possible?

Answer 1

You could have a look at Synergy, using your Mac keyboard on both the PC and Mac.

Answer 2

You can use Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator to create a custom keyboard layout on Windows that mirrors the Mac OS one.

Ubuntu has an infinitely flexible and impossibly complicated keyboard layout system called XKB, which has limited documentation. Ubuntu probably already has all the data for the Mac keyboard layout you want stored among the hundreds of files in /usr/share/X11/xkb/, but figuring out how to load it will drive you crazy. You might have luck asking about this on Ask Ubuntu or the Unix stack exchange.