CTRL key based operation with Karabiner-Elements

Summary

Adapting to the MacBook Pro's Command key-centric layout was challenging after years of using my ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2. To avoid the transition, I started using Karabiner-Elements.

Karabiner-Elements lets you:

• Remap keys to match your muscle memory
• Create complex shortcuts
• Customise per-app layouts

About Karabiner-Elements Rule

• I use another Simple modification to replace Option to Command with the Rule in this post.

• When you want to target a specific application to apply the keyboard manipulation, you need to figure out the value for bundle_identifiers called Bundle Identifier.

• You can find Bundle Identifier on the terminal as follows (com.microsoft.VSCode is it in this example), but it is easier to figure out with EventViewer provided by Karabiner-Elements instead:
  

grep -A 2 "Identifier" /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/Contents/Info.plist
======
<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
<string>com.microsoft.VSCode</string>

The File

	.history
	.vscode
	save.sh

view raw .gitignore hosted with ❤ by GitHub

	{
	"title": "Use Option as Command for some applications",
	"rules": [
	{
	"description": "Use Option as Command for some applications",
	"manipulators": [
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "tab",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_shift",
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "open_bracket",
	"modifiers": [
	"left_shift",
	"left_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "tab",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "close_bracket",
	"modifiers": [
	"left_shift",
	"left_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "f",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "f",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_unless",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.googlecode.iterm"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "x",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "x",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "p",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "p",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "n",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "n",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "q",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "q",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "z",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "z",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_unless",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.googlecode.iterm"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "z",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_shift",
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "z",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_shift",
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "c",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "c",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_unless",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.googlecode.iterm",
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "v",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "v",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "a",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "a",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_unless",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.googlecode.iterm",
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "s",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "s",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "t",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "t",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.cocoatech.PathFinder-setapp",
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac",
	"^com.google.Chrome",
	"^com.googlecode.iterm"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "l",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "l",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac",
	"^com.google.Chrome"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "n",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"left_shift",
	"left_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "n",
	"modifiers": [
	"left_shift",
	"left_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac",
	"^com.google.Chrome"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "g",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "g",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac",
	"^com.google.Chrome"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "u",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "u",
	"modifiers": [
	"left_option",
	"left_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac",
	"^com.google.Chrome"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "h",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "y",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.google.Chrome"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "y",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "y",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "w",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "w",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "slash",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "slash",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.install4j.[-0-9]+.[-0-9]+$",
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "r",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "r",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.edgemac",
	"^com.google.Chrome"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "period",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "period",
	"modifiers": [
	"command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "p",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"left_shift",
	"left_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "p",
	"modifiers": [
	"left_shift",
	"left_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "y",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"right_shift",
	"right_control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "y",
	"modifiers": [
	"right_shift",
	"right_command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "k",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"control"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "k",
	"modifiers": [
	"command"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap"
	]
	}
	]
	},
	{
	"type": "basic",
	"from": {
	"key_code": "p",
	"modifiers": {
	"mandatory": [
	"left_ctrl",
	"left_shift"
	],
	"optional": [
	"any"
	]
	}
	},
	"to": [
	{
	"key_code": "p",
	"modifiers": [
	"left_command",
	"left_shift"
	]
	}
	],
	"conditions": [
	{
	"type": "frontmost_application_if",
	"bundle_identifiers": [
	"^com.microsoft.VSCode"
	]
	}
	]
	}
	]
	}
	]
	}

view raw use-option.json hosted with ❤ by GitHub

References

• frontmost_application_if, frontmost_application_unless