Feature request: make it possible to distinguish left and right modifiers (left cmd, right cmd, left alt, right alt)

[lknop]

AeroSpace seems to intercept all shortcuts with Option key. However, in some international layouts Option is used to write accented letters (e.g. Ō, Ł). It would be great if there was an option to differentiate between left and right Option key, and match bindings only with one of them, passing the unmatched ones to the OS for default handling.

Note: I am using 0.5 beta.

[nikitabobko]

The same issue in Amethyst ianyh/Amethyst#1091

[wojciech-kulik]

As a workaround, you can use skhd, a single line in the config:

lalt - l : aerospace focus right

[GraemeARobinson]

@wojciech-kulik, neat solution. Would be good if this was included in aerospace in future though but good to have a workaround

[GraemeARobinson]

Unfortunately this workaround doesn't work when secure input is enabled, which is sometimes enforced by running apps 😢

[webskydavid]

I also miss this feature. The only solution for me is to disable the AeroSpace when typing special letters.

[webskydavid]

Someone wanted to add this keys but it seems it does not work.

[lknop]

Due to this issue I stopped using Aerospace (and Mac altogether) for some time. However, I need to swtich to MacOS temporarily and having used i3 for quite some time I decided to figure out the solution. I saw the skhd workaround, though I was under the impression that Aerospace was intercepting the option key completely in that version. I haven't checked the code if anything changed in that area but in the latest version I got this to work (with a workaround) and since I am using karabiner with goku for my keyboard shortcuts, I will paste my version of the workaround.

karabiner.edn

:main [
     {:des "Change left_option to 3 modifiers combination, f17 when used alone"
         :rules [[:left_option :!COleft_control nil {:alone [:f17]}]]}
  ]

this remaps left option to alt-cmd-ctrl, which can then be used in Aerospace shortcuts, leaving right option as the default modifier for accented letters. I also had to modify other shortcuts from alt to alt-cmd-ctrl but the sample below should be enough to get started.

.aerospace.toml

alt-cmd-ctrl-1 = 'workspace 1'
alt-cmd-ctrl-2 = 'workspace 2'
alt-cmd-ctrl-3 = 'workspace 3'
alt-cmd-ctrl-4 = 'workspace 4'
alt-cmd-ctrl-5 = 'workspace 5'


alt-cmd-ctrl-shift-1 = 'move-node-to-workspace 1'
alt-cmd-ctrl-shift-2 = 'move-node-to-workspace 2'
alt-cmd-ctrl-shift-3 = 'move-node-to-workspace 3'
alt-cmd-ctrl-shift-4 = 'move-node-to-workspace 4'
alt-cmd-ctrl-shift-5 = 'move-node-to-workspace 5'

I think karabiner does not need Secure Input to be disabled. It would be awesome if Aerospace could differentiate between left and right modifier keys by itself so perhaps this issue should be left open for reference. But the workaround works well enough that my original problem is resolved.

[tylercecil]

Another workaround: I have a mode in aerospace which doesn't bind any keys, allowing me to easily "pause" aerospace.

cmd-semicolon = 'mode X'

[mode.X.binding]
# A mode to just pass keys through!
cmd-semicolon = 'mode main'
esc = 'mode main'

[Bubobubobubobubo]

Another workaround: I have a mode in aerospace which doesn't bind any keys, allowing me to easily "pause" aerospace.

I just tried this workaround to make Aerospace usable with my AZERTY keyboard. It works, but you have to always think about disabling the tiling manager whenever you type something. Note that I have remapped to alt-backspace to switch in and out of the special mode. This key-combo feels more natural (IMO) when your hands are resting in the center of the keyboard.

@nikitabobko : Is there a special reason preventing the detection of the l-alt r-alt keys? I don't have any knowledge of MacOS internals, just curious about it.

[lknop]

@Bubobubobubobubo the different modes is only one possible workaround, please read the whole thread, there are two more workarounds (with skhd and karabiner) that may be better suited for your use case.