Remap keys for emacs on a remote Windows machine
Sun 02 April 2023 — Filed under notes; tags: emacs, windows
I have been working on a Windows machine via remote desktop, and am
gradually making it bearable. Emacs is miraculously easy to install to
my user's account, but it was not immediately obvious how to reproduce
my usual configuration of mapping Option to ESC. One solution is
provided by Karabiner-Elements, which supports complex rules for
keyboard remapping. Crucially, it's possible to remap keys only in the
context of a specific application. There are many community-provided
rules to use as a starting point: I adapted this one to simply remap
left option to ESC. I created
~/.config/karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/rdp_option_to_esc.json
with the following contents:
{
"title": "Remote Desktop - Left Option sends ESC",
"rules": [
{
"description": "Left option key sends ESC in remote desktop only",
"manipulators": [
{
"type": "basic",
"from": {
"key_code": "left_option",
"modifiers": {
"optional": [
"any"
]
}
},
"to": [
{
"key_code": "escape"
}
],
"conditions": [
{
"type": "frontmost_application_if",
"bundle_identifiers": [
"^com\\.microsoft\\.rdc$",
"^com\\.microsoft\\.rdc\\.",
"^net\\.sf\\.cord$",
"^com\\.thinomenon\\.RemoteDesktopConnection$",
"^com\\.itap-mobile\\.qmote$",
"^com\\.nulana\\.remotixmac$",
"^com\\.p5sys\\.jump\\.mac\\.viewer$",
"^com\\.p5sys\\.jump\\.mac\\.viewer\\.",
"^com\\.teamviewer\\.TeamViewer$",
"^com\\.vmware\\.horizon$",
"^com\\.2X\\.Client\\.Mac$",
"^com\\.OpenText\\.Exceed-TurboX-Client$",
"^com\\.realvnc\\.vncviewer$",
"^com\\.vmware\\.fusion$",
"^com\\.vmware\\.horizon$",
"^com\\.vmware\\.view$",
"^com\\.parallels\\.desktop$",
"^com\\.parallels\\.vm$",
"^com\\.parallels\\.desktop\\.console$",
"^org\\.virtualbox\\.app\\.VirtualBoxVM$",
"^com\\.citrix\\.XenAppViewer$",
"^com\\.vmware\\.proxyApp\\.",
"^com\\.parallels\\.winapp\\.",
"^com\\.geekspiff\\.chickenofthevnc$",
"^net\\.sourceforge\\.chicken$",
"^de\\.jinx\\.JollysFastVNC\\.",
"^com\\.realvnc\\.vncviewer\\."
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
After adding the file, open the Karabiner-Elements settings from menu bar icon, choose "Complex Modification", and enable "Remote Desktop - Left Option sends ESC".