Microsoft/vscode

Keyboard mappings with `setxkbmap` on Linux not working

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#23,991 opened on Apr 6, 2017

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bughelp wantedkeybindingslinux

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Description

  • VSCode Version: 1.11.0
  • OS Version: Ubuntu 16.04

I have my Caps Lock key bound to Escape using setxkbmap on Linux. This worked fine till 1.10, but broke with 1.11. At first I thought it was an issue with the VSCodeVim extension, but the issue persists with all the other Vim extensions on the marketplace as well. Pressing the escape button still works as expected.

The binding is still respected everywhere else in the operating system, it's only Visual Studio Code that ignores it for some reason.

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Run setxkbmap -option caps:escape (binds caps to escape for the duration of the session)
  2. Hitting caps lock when in insert mode (with a Vim extension like VSCodeVim installed) no longer puts you normal mode.
  3. Hitting escape still works as expected and puts you in normal mode.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate the key event handling in VSCode's native keyboard input layer on Linux, specifically how setxkbmap custom mappings are processed.
Tech stack
typescript
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitLinuxsetxkbmap
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60