init.lua

hs.hotkey.bind({}, "§", function() hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "`") end )
hs.hotkey.bind({ "cmd" }, "§", function() hs.eventtap.keyStroke({ "cmd" }, "`") end )
hs.hotkey.bind({ "shift" }, "§", function() hs.eventtap.keyStroke({ "shift" }, "`") end )
hs.hotkey.bind({ "cmd", "shift" }, "§", function() hs.eventtap.keyStroke({ "cmd", "shift" }, "`") end )

Intro

For those with a Mac with English ISO keyboard and would like to use the § key as backtick (`). Specially after MacOS 14.2 update when the hidutil command stopped working.

How to use it

1. Install Hammerspoon:

$ brew install hammerspoon

2. Give Hammerspoon Accessibility permission
   System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Accessibility

3. Configure Hammerspoon to Launch at login
   Open Hammerspoon, go to Preferences and check the box on Launch Hammerspoon at login

4. Create the file on ~/.hammerspoon/init.lua with the content above

5. Click Reload config on Hammerspoon Console window (or system tray icon).

hidtool is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.3

However, it needs sudo now. To achieve the same results as the above use the following command:

$ sudo hidutil property --set \
'{
  "UserKeyMapping": [
    {
      "HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc": 0x700000064,
      "HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst": 0x700000035
    }
  ]
}'

Thank you for the advice, I works well, but not for "~" (shift + §). I can't figure out how to do it (hammerspoon doesn't accept "~" character in its config). Did you find a way to solve it?

Hi @ghigt , not sure what you meant. But shift + § = ± and I wanted it to behave like shift + backtick which produces ~ and it works fine. If you want it to enter another char, you can just replace the key combination on the keystroke part.

Remember to always use the key modifier and the "lowercase" key (eg. if you want ( use hs.eventtap.keyStroke({ "shift" }, "9"))

I exactly want the same behavior you describe (shift + backtick producing ~). It doesn't works and still print ±.

It looks like hs.hotkey.bind({ "shift" }, "§", function() hs.eventtap.keyStroke({ "shift" }, "`") end ) doesn't behave well for me.

@ghigt I am sorry to hear that. It works fine for me. You can also play with some debugging and see what's going on.
I used this (paste on the console and once you are done, just reload config) it might help identify the problem:

local function keyCallback(event)
    hs.alert(hs.keycodes.map[event:getKeyCode()])
end

keyWatcher = hs.eventtap.new({ hs.eventtap.event.types.keyDown }, keyCallback)
keyWatcher:start()

As for reference, after pasting that on the console and pressing shift+§ I get 2 notifications: one with § and another with backtick.

After testing with your debug, I finally saw that the ~ worked out of the MacOS Terminal app (it works fine with iTerm though). So I don't know why but it works everywhere except in the app I want to use it 😄

Big thanks for your help!!