Using Caps Lock as both Escape and Control

Update, 2021-08-21: I currently use dual function keys instead. Check this post

My keyboard is configured (at the OS software level) to recognise a tap of the Caps Lock key as Escape, and holding it down as Control. Why? Ergonomic benefits, RSI, etc. It isn’t perfect, but better than the default for specific use cases (that I meet).

I used Danny Guo’s blog, more specifically caps2esc. This post is to note some specifics/quirks.

• This configuration works on any keyboard, even externally attached ones. I consider this a Good Thing.
• The keyboard will not light up the Caps Lock indicator if you press Caps Lock, as it is now Control/Escape. However, some keyboards will light up the indicator if you press Escape (actually Caps Lock), but this is dependent on the keyboard. My Ducky did this correctly, but the Thinkpad keyboard did not. Your experience might differ on this specific.
• Also, as the configuration is at the software level, the keyboard itself is unchanged. So if you need Escape to configure stuff on your keyboard – like I do with my Ducky – then it works flawlessly. In my use cases so far, anyway.
• This has to be configured per-OS installed, per-laptop. This is also considered a Good Thing by me.
• If you have Windows installed this will not work on Windows. Or any other OS installed on the system. It’s obvious, but worth mentioning. For my Windows install, I used the same blog to configure AutoHotkey
• The Left Control remains as a Control key. This is useful because,
• Sometimes in games and other situations holding down Caps is not recognised as pressing Control ¹. This is when the Left Control still functioning as a Control is Very Useful.

There are a few general quirks with respect to getting used to it, but it’s a solid mod otherwise, well worth doing.

1. An example - pressing Ctrl+Left and expecting to go back one word in Google Docs. Will not work. ↩

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