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> Remap the Escape key to CapsLock else you will never like vim (provided you are a normal person) I think this is great advice for EVERYONE, vim user or not.

> Remap the Escape key to CapsLock else you will never like vim (provided you are a normal person) I think this is great advice for EVERYONE, vim user or not. Someone else made this suggestion on HN some 8 years ago and I haven't looked back since. CapsLock is essentially useless for modern computing needs, but having a No/Cancel/Quit/Esc button immediately under your left pinky is fantastic. Your brain will get used to it in a day or so, give it a try!

zeroxfe 3y ago
Yes, CapsLock is useless, and I've been remapping it to Ctrl since forever, which serves me a lot more than Esc.
- cassepipe 3y ago
  It can be both if you care to. You don't have to choose
  - Toorkit 3y ago
    I've done Esc-on-single-press-Ctrl-on-hold once, but some games don't recognize the Esc press. Couldn't get to a menu anymore :P Currently just have Esc on the CapsLock.
sodapopcan 3y ago
Best use for capslock in my book is tap for escape, hold for ctrl.
- ta988 3y ago
  Where do you map it that way?
  - ink_13 3y ago
    Karabiner-Elements will do this for you on Mac. I consider it indispensable.
  - sodapopcan 3y ago
    As my sibling commenter said, use Karabiner Elements if you are on macos. Though it's not an out-of-the-box thing. Add this config to ~/.config/karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/custom-capslock.json { "title": "Change caps_lock to Esc and Control", "rules": [ { "description": "Post Esc if Caps is tapped, Control if held.", "manipulators": [ { "type": "basic", "from": { "key_code": "left_control", "modifiers": { "optional": [ "any" ] } }, "to": [ { "key_code": "left_control", "lazy": true } ], "to_if_alone": [ { "key_code": "escape" } ] } ] } ] } and then in the GUI enable it in the Complex Modifications tab. Last you need to map "capslock" to "left_control" in the Simple Modifications tab.
    - linsomniac 3y ago
      Ooh! Can I do this with "z" and "/" (letter if tapped, control if held)?
      - sodapopcan 3y ago
        Yep! You can do whatever you want with complex modifications. The only tricky part is figuring it out. It shouldn't be TOO different than the above if you replace the appropriate values.
      - sodapopcan 3y ago
        My GUESS is that it would be something like this: { "title": "Hold z or / for control", "rules": [ { "description": "Hold z for control", "manipulators": [ { "type": "basic", "from": { "key_code": "z", "modifiers": { "optional": [ "any" ] } }, "to_if_alone": [ { "key_code": "left_control" } ] } ] }, { "description": "Hold / for control", "manipulators": [ { "type": "basic", "from": { "key_code": "/", "modifiers": { "optional": [ "any" ] } }, "to_if_alone": [ { "key_code": "right_control" } ] } ] } ] }
  - wonger_ 3y ago
    I use this executable for Windows: https://github.com/ililim/dual-key-remap https://github.com/ililim/dual-key-remap
  - svilen_dobrev 3y ago
    as said here: https://superuser.com/questions/1716264/xmodmap-holding-a-key-vs-pressing https://superuser.com/questions/1716264/xmodmap-holding-a-ke... using this https://github.com/alols/xcape https://github.com/alols/xcape : $ setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier $ xcape -e 'Caps_Lock=Escape' if that need be run multiple times (i.e. in bashrc), add a guard: pgrep xcape >/dev/null || ( setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier xcape -e 'Caps_Lock=Escape' )
- joenot443 3y ago
  That sounds awesome! I'm going to look into that.
joshmanders 3y ago
If I remap CapsLock to Escape, then how will I enable cruise control for awesome mode? But seriously, I have hitting escape muscle memory engrained, I cannot remap it to any key because I won't ever think to hit capslock even if it's ergonomically "better"
- TotempaaltJ 3y ago
  I thought that, remapped it, and it turned out to be incredibly easy to swap over. I think it's because it's so much nicer to use.
  - joshmanders 3y ago
    My point is that it's NOT nicer to use for me. I just instinctively did it to see my motion and it's an awkward feeling for me to move my left pinky over to the capslock key, definitely something I have to be mindful of doing to make happen and probably will take a long time for me to get used to. Meanwhile, I actually extend my ring finger up and barely touch the escape and move it back down, all of that is very comfortable for me and I can do it without looking 100% of the time and never miss it.

zeroxfe 3y ago

Yes, CapsLock is useless, and I've been remapping it to Ctrl since forever, which serves me a lot more than Esc.

cassepipe 3y ago
It can be both if you care to. You don't have to choose
- Toorkit 3y ago
  I've done Esc-on-single-press-Ctrl-on-hold once, but some games don't recognize the Esc press. Couldn't get to a menu anymore :P Currently just have Esc on the CapsLock.

sodapopcan 3y ago

Best use for capslock in my book is tap for escape, hold for ctrl.

ta988 3y ago
Where do you map it that way?
- ink_13 3y ago
  Karabiner-Elements will do this for you on Mac. I consider it indispensable.
- sodapopcan 3y ago
  As my sibling commenter said, use Karabiner Elements if you are on macos. Though it's not an out-of-the-box thing. Add this config to ~/.config/karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/custom-capslock.json { "title": "Change caps_lock to Esc and Control", "rules": [ { "description": "Post Esc if Caps is tapped, Control if held.", "manipulators": [ { "type": "basic", "from": { "key_code": "left_control", "modifiers": { "optional": [ "any" ] } }, "to": [ { "key_code": "left_control", "lazy": true } ], "to_if_alone": [ { "key_code": "escape" } ] } ] } ] } and then in the GUI enable it in the Complex Modifications tab. Last you need to map "capslock" to "left_control" in the Simple Modifications tab.
  - linsomniac 3y ago
    Ooh! Can I do this with "z" and "/" (letter if tapped, control if held)?
    - sodapopcan 3y ago
      Yep! You can do whatever you want with complex modifications. The only tricky part is figuring it out. It shouldn't be TOO different than the above if you replace the appropriate values.
    - sodapopcan 3y ago
      My GUESS is that it would be something like this: { "title": "Hold z or / for control", "rules": [ { "description": "Hold z for control", "manipulators": [ { "type": "basic", "from": { "key_code": "z", "modifiers": { "optional": [ "any" ] } }, "to_if_alone": [ { "key_code": "left_control" } ] } ] }, { "description": "Hold / for control", "manipulators": [ { "type": "basic", "from": { "key_code": "/", "modifiers": { "optional": [ "any" ] } }, "to_if_alone": [ { "key_code": "right_control" } ] } ] } ] }
- wonger_ 3y ago
  I use this executable for Windows: https://github.com/ililim/dual-key-remap https://github.com/ililim/dual-key-remap
- svilen_dobrev 3y ago
  as said here: https://superuser.com/questions/1716264/xmodmap-holding-a-key-vs-pressing https://superuser.com/questions/1716264/xmodmap-holding-a-ke... using this https://github.com/alols/xcape https://github.com/alols/xcape : $ setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier $ xcape -e 'Caps_Lock=Escape' if that need be run multiple times (i.e. in bashrc), add a guard: pgrep xcape >/dev/null || ( setxkbmap -option caps:ctrl_modifier xcape -e 'Caps_Lock=Escape' )
joenot443 3y ago
That sounds awesome! I'm going to look into that.

joshmanders 3y ago

If I remap CapsLock to Escape, then how will I enable cruise control for awesome mode? But seriously, I have hitting escape muscle memory engrained, I cannot remap it to any key because I won't ever think to hit capslock even if it's ergonomically "better"

TotempaaltJ 3y ago
I thought that, remapped it, and it turned out to be incredibly easy to swap over. I think it's because it's so much nicer to use.
- joshmanders 3y ago
  My point is that it's NOT nicer to use for me. I just instinctively did it to see my motion and it's an awkward feeling for me to move my left pinky over to the capslock key, definitely something I have to be mindful of doing to make happen and probably will take a long time for me to get used to. Meanwhile, I actually extend my ring finger up and barely touch the escape and move it back down, all of that is very comfortable for me and I can do it without looking 100% of the time and never miss it.