edenworky · 2022-06-11 12:41
Hi, I'm very news to emacs and super excited so far. I mostly code on a laptop and being able to have `C` as `mouse-1` and `M` as `mouse-3` would let me use my otherwise useless thumbs, which make it a lot more convenient on my tiny keyboard.
While I'm working on getting a nicer keyboard, did anyone have any success using mouse buttons as modifiers?
I tried digging around, and I found how to map mouse buttons to other inputs, but I couldn't figure out how to map something into `C` or `M`. Everything in [`Moving The Ctrl Key`](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey#h5o-3) only talks about specific things like mapping caps lock to it.
quantum_mattress · 2022-06-11 16:57
Unless Apple changed something, this won’t work. Each “keyboard” is considered a separate device so the modifier keys from one do not affect another one. For example, if you plug in two USB keyboards and press Shift on one and then A on the other, you’ll end up with a lowercase a. I hate this since I wanted to do something similar as you using a USB keypad (e.g. https://a.co/d/2L6X38A) to add thumb keys.
If you get this to work, please let us know!
[deleted] · 2022-06-11 19:47
[deleted]
edenworky · 2022-06-11 19:47
Haha will do! I think I may have phrased something confusingly, I only have one keyboard. Are you saying the mouse counts as a kind of keyboard here, and therefore modifier keys pressed there won't affect the actual keyboard? Also, what does Apple have to do with it?
quantum_mattress · 2022-06-11 19:53
Yes - I'm assuming the mouse buttons defined as keys will be seen as a 2nd keyboard. Give it try, though.
edenworky · 2022-06-11 19:54
I'm sorry, I don't follow. How would I give it a try? I don't know how to map mouse buttons to be modifiers.
quantum_mattress · 2022-06-11 20:06
Karabiner or A Better Touch Tool