Smart Caps Lock: Remap Caps Lock to Control AND Escape

smart-caps-lock.md

Smart Caps Lock: Remap to Control AND Escape (Linux, Mac, Windows)

• Send Escape if you tap Caps Lock alone.
• Send Control if you press Caps Lock with another key.
• send caps lock if you press both shift keys together

For vim , emacs and normal day typing

GNU/Linux

Step 1. Install XCAPE

Install XCAPE (xcape). (Linux utility to configure modifier keys to act as other keys when pressed and released on their own.)

Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install xcape

Step 2. Run the command

# make CapsLock behave like Ctrl:
setxkbmap -option ctrl:nocaps

# make short-pressed Ctrl behave like Escape:
xcape -e 'Control_L=Escape'

The effect should apply immediately.

Step 3. Autostart

Append code from Step 2 to file ~/.xprofile to run the command when X starts.

macOS

1. Download and install Karabiner-Elements, a powerful and stable keyboard customizer.
2. Open Karabiner-Elements, select Complex Modifications tab, and click Add rule at the bottom.
3. Find Post escape if caps is pressed alone, left_ctrl otherwise and click on enable.

The effect should apply immediately.

Windows

Option 1:

1. Download and install AutoHotKey.
2. Use the script CapsLockCtrlEscape.ahk.

This was made possible with a third party software called AutoHotkey Usually the Altimate automation script for windows systems. I choose to use these program since i plan to do some automations with in window with it.

I admit i did not write the script for this program myself by i sourced out from github.

This script came with something additional that i loved. I did not lose the caps lock fuctionality as in my linux distro. Pressing the two shift keys together activates thes caps lock.