Mapping SPC .* ESC to keyboard-escape-quit

[jandamm]

I'm trying to map the escape key as a always return to normal state in spacemacs.

I got rid of the weird ESC leader-key behaviour with this mapping:

(global-set-key [escape]
                  (lambda ()
                    (interactive) (progn (keyboard-escape-quit)(evil-normal-state))))

I also used this

(spacemacs/set-leader-keys "ESC" 'keyboard-escape-quit)

to map SPC ESC to quit input.

Is there a way to also map SPC f ESC, SPC w ESC and so on to just quit?
Without having to set-leader-keys for every variation?

Cheers

[xged]

I got rid of the weird ESC leader-key behaviour

What behavior?

Is there a way to also map SPC f ESC, SPC w ESC and so on to just quit?

Following your example:
(spacemacs/set-leader-keys "f <escape>" 'keyboard-escape-quit)
(spacemacs/set-leader-keys "w <escape>" 'keyboard-escape-quit)

[jandamm]

The 'weird' behavior looks like this.

I'm not quite sure if it only happens in the Spacemacs buffer but tapping any command afterwards is not working. Tapping C-M-- results in ESC C-M-- is undefined.

Thanks for the hint for mapping SPC f ESC. I guess there is no way to avoid mapping ESC for every prefix?
My goal is that whenever I start a SPC command and decide to cancel it, a single press on ESC should cancel the command so I can start a new SPC command or continue typing.

[xged]

The 'weird' behavior looks like this.

What have you pressed before? SPC?

My goal is that whenever I start a SPC command and decide to cancel it, a single press on ESC should cancel the command so I can start a new SPC command or continue typing.

If you mean you want to cancel a leader key chord with ESC in a middle of typing it, I think its already a default behavior. I believe there are no default leader key bindings that includes ESC key.

[xged]

"SPC f ESC .." is actually a thing, weird.

[jandamm]

It seems my installation is a bit messed up. This happens with 'vanilla' spacemacs.
Fresh .spacemacs file: evil, spacemacs, helm. (Mac via brew install emacs)

What have you pressed before? SPC?

I haven't pressed anything (except ESC).

I have to press ESC twice to cancel the 'input-mode'

[jandamm]

I also have Karabiner installed but only modify my internal keyboard not my external (which I used for this)

[xged]

What does C-h-k ESC outputs if you dont have that "global-set-key [escape] .." binding?

[jandamm]

Need to type ESC three times. Then it says:

ESC ESC ESC (translated from ) runs the command
keyboard-escape-quit (found in global-map), which is an interactive compiled
Lisp function in ‘simple.el’. ...

[xged]

Do you use vim mode or emacs mode? Have you knowingly rebinded your ESC key? (we are talking before "global-set-key [escape] .." thing)

[jandamm]

Currently I have the .spacemacs file you get when you delete the config and select vim, spacemacs and helm

[xged]

When you delete the config, is the ESC behavior normal (no "ESC-..")?

[jandamm]

I canceled the installation with escape seing the spacemacs buffer but no spacemacs used.
ESC still has this weird behavior

[xged]

You didnt answer whether you use vim or emacs mode? I presumed you use vim mode and testing ESC from (evil) normal state.

[jandamm]

Sorry, yes that is right.
In normal mode in any buffer besides Spacemacs buffer (Welcome screen) ESC works fine and exits insert, visual, ... mode and enters normal mode.
This does not work in Spacemacs buffer and maybe in other read-only buffers as well (not tested).

The SPC ... ESC not working does not depend on the buffer.

The fd 'escape' doesn't work either for me. But I haven't configured anything there. So it wouldn't be enabled if it isn't enabled by default.

[xged]

This does not work in Spacemacs buffer

It works, it just that Spacemacs buffer starts in evil-motion-state (for whatever reason).
You can rebind ESC to a desired-function in motion state like that: (define-key evil-motion-state-map (kbd "<escape>") 'desired-command) eg (define-key evil-motion-state-map (kbd "<escape>") 'evil-normal-state)

[jandamm]

Yes emacs -nw or emacsclient attach -t

[xged]

I am on GUI.

[jandamm]

Are you using Mojave, emacs-plus via homebrew (or emacs via homebrew cask)?
If you type SPC f ESC you cancel directly instead of this?

[xged]

You cancel directly instead of this?

SPC f ESC .. is a key-chord node (bug). It cancels with (single) ESC as every other key-chord node.

I am on Linux (not Mac).

[yuhan0]

I recall this is due to ESC being treated as the Meta key for historical reasons.
e.g. typing M-g ESC g == M-g M-g(goto-line)
I found this behaviour annoying too but there doesn't seem to be any way to disable it.

In the long run it's probably better to retrain your muscle memory to use C-g to cancel things instead, it's pretty universal across all parts of Emacs and (subjectively?) easier to press than reaching for the escape key.

[jandamm]

Yes, that's what I figured from reading many old posts.
Haven't found a way to unbind ESC from M.

C-g is a valid option but it doesn't quite fit the vim mode.
And on my keyboard I moved the escape key to a more sane position.

[jandamm]

For now I "fixed" it by using Keyboard Maestro to type two ESC whenever I press the escape key in Emacs.
But I would still prefer a Emacs only solution.

[yuhan0]

FWIW, my own config involves using Karabiner Elements to map the easy-to-reachCapsLock-; to f13, which I then bind to evil-escape command in Emacs. It acts like a generalized version of the ESC key across more contexts.

A native way to disable the ESC<->meta mapping would be nice, but from what I gathered some time ago, it seems to be hard-coded in Emacs internals. If anyone knows how it would be much appreciated :)

[jandamm]

Even better idea.
Now I map my ESC to f19 in Emacs (with Keyboard Maestro). Which then is mapped to evil-escape.

[mtourne]

I also find behavior about SPC .* ESC (only in gui) pretty frustrating

I've tried a few things but ESC seems very special unfortunately :
https://emacs.stackexchange.com/a/14757

ESC apparently always acts as the prefix for esc-map and that's set in the c code and not changeable.

[snippins]

This also happens when using emacs keybindings with any leader key. I have the following lines in my config to get rid of this behavior.

(which-key-define-key-recursively global-map [escape] 'ignore)
(which-key-define-key-recursively evil-emacs-state-map [escape] 'ignore)

People who use vim keybindings could use the same tricks with other appropriate evil maps to solve this problem.

[helltone]

I think I faced same thing.
I could not escape evil-mode insert mode with ESC in terminal mode of spacemacs on mac.
This 'weird' popup appeared each time.
Then I found that evil-escape package is installed in my dotfile, after checking readme found that escape chord is

fd

[bldu]

This also happens when using emacs keybindings with any leader key. I have the following lines in my config to get rid of this behavior.

(which-key-define-key-recursively global-map [escape] 'ignore)
(which-key-define-key-recursively evil-emacs-state-map [escape] 'ignore)

People who use vim keybindings could use the same tricks with other appropriate evil maps to solve this problem.

Your solution works, thank you so much. I've been annoyyed for a long time!

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[catern]

(define-key local-function-key-map (kbd "<escape>") nil) is the right way to deal with this, it disables being translated to ESC, and ESC in turn is what is used to implement Meta keymaps (M-somekey is translated to ESC somekey, see meta-prefix-char)

With that config, ESC is reserved for implementing Meta, and can be used for whatever else you want.

All this only works in X/graphical Emacs, of course. In a terminal you can't distinguish and ESC.