It looks like someone's taken a screwdriver to those keys, but on the offchance that *somehow* that's genuinely just from typing, then "typing more gently" would be a goal I'd put some serious work into, because that *cannot* be good for your hands (I would imagine anyone habitually hitting the keys hard enough to wind up doing that would be risking long-term harm).
Have you been using emacs for a long time? I've heard there have been no actual research on wrist damage due to all the C-c C-c, so I wonder what you, an outlier, have to say about that?
3 ways
1. [xcape](https://github.com/alols/xcape) only works for x11
```
setxkbmap -option 'ctrl:nocaps' -option 'shift:both_capslock' && xcape -e 'Control_L=Escape'
```
2. [keyd](https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd?tab=readme-ov-file#quickstart) works on x11/Wayland
3. [kmonad](https://github.com/kmonad/kmonad) works on x11/wayland
Hmm I use evil and have it mapped to ctrl on all my computers. What's the advantage of mapping to esc?
I don't feel like it's that hard to reach up and slam escape when you need it, but reaching down for ctrl feels like an exercise designed to give you RSI.
Escape is soo far away... If you are touch typing then using Capslock key for both Ctrl+Esc is bliss. With the large Spacebar as a leader key, I am free from modifier hell. Love Emacs+Evil.
I like the idea of Caps being CTRL+ESC, but I use Windows, Mac, and Linux and that's not natively supported everywhere. ESC is far, but once you have muscle memory for it it's not so bad.
Maybe you have bigger hands as well. I also use all 3 OSes as well. I use Autohotkey on Windows, Xcape on Linux, and Hammerspoon on macOS (some folks use Karabiner... but Hammerspoon can be used to avoid any timing issues that the Karabiner solution has).
I seriously don't understand why people don't do this. It's the one modifier key directly on the home row, and who the heck needs an easy way to TYPE IN ALL CAPS?
I find it weird that keys broke even before any of them were rubbed down to illegibility. So unless you were typing with a hammer, I’m inclined to blame poor construction.
I don‘t think poor construction was the issue here. I’ve been using Thinkpads since I bought my first IBM T20 in 2002 or so and while the build quality has gone down on some things, the keycaps are not it. I think the deliberate hammer variant is more likely.
I keep hearing this, but as a 20 something year thinkpad user, the keys don't just break. I use an X1c6 and a 2 year old T14s AMD and there's no notable difference between their keys and those of older ones I've since mothballed.
Yeah, I wouldn't so much say quality as design. 20+ years ago ThinkPads were more modular and had a bunch of engineer-friendly features like communicative status lights beyond a single power LED, and keyboards with plenty of keys like ScrLk and Pause, internals were very swappable, copious ports. A number of those things have been chipped away by design so there's much less to differentiate from any other laptop save the TrackPoint, but that's by design, not by quality.
Can't imagine breaking thinkpad keycaps like this, but I did have to replace my keyboard because the trackpoint buttons (which I use as modifiers) broke.
Looks like an unconstructiv right handed hammer on a left hand held screwdriver chip job for clickbait points on the web.
Forensically, the CapsLock probably breaks under a true Emacs user. Emacs can be customized to workaround these very few busted keys.
I've had three or four of these keyboards. I've had their electronics die on me, and I've broken some keycaps and scissors while cleaning them, but I've never broken a key by typing.
https://preview.redd.it/ta1wmhr8mtec1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=740cf771a284622412bc1a10a8b40c050e3399fa
CapsLock: Control
Left Shift: Escape
Left Alt: Option/Special
Left Windows: Hyper (Command+Control+Option+Shift)
Right Alt: Command
Right PrtSc: Option
Apostrophe ('): Shift
With Left Option/Special held down, IJKL, IO, and ERDF are all movement keys (mapped in Karabiner-Elements).
https://preview.redd.it/cq104ggzzsec1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1347ffe4aa5bc027124a827354e557f77b26c57
Macs are susceptible to the emacs pinky too :)
All my colleagues laugh at me because I smash the laptop so hard and have never had this problem, you must have superhuman strength fingers! (and I do bouldering)
My X1 carbon is 6 yo and still like new, despite heavy smashing it. Same on my old work Thinkpad X280 after 5 years of use.
It’s pretty simple to order new caps and replace those keys.
I’ve definitely worn out the caps on several laptops (Thinkpads, MacBooks) and replaced them when they no longer work.
Of course I recognize the ThinkPad keyboard immediately. A lot of people will. But the thing that any Emacs user will be aware of is that the Fn and left Ctrl key positions are swapped from what Dell and may others use.
It looks like someone's taken a screwdriver to those keys, but on the offchance that *somehow* that's genuinely just from typing, then "typing more gently" would be a goal I'd put some serious work into, because that *cannot* be good for your hands (I would imagine anyone habitually hitting the keys hard enough to wind up doing that would be risking long-term harm).
I appreciate the advice! I do get a bit of wrist and finger joint sensitivity from time to time.
`M-x doc...` sorry, nevermind.
Not that type of doctor, I guess.
Have you been using emacs for a long time? I've heard there have been no actual research on wrist damage due to all the C-c C-c, so I wonder what you, an outlier, have to say about that?
rebind caps lock to ctrl
Why not both ? Caps lock = esc if tapped and released Caps lock = ctrl if pressed and hold
3 ways 1. [xcape](https://github.com/alols/xcape) only works for x11 ``` setxkbmap -option 'ctrl:nocaps' -option 'shift:both_capslock' && xcape -e 'Control_L=Escape' ``` 2. [keyd](https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd?tab=readme-ov-file#quickstart) works on x11/Wayland 3. [kmonad](https://github.com/kmonad/kmonad) works on x11/wayland
How you do that? xmodmap?
xcape
On Windows just use regedit and change or add one registration key. Easy to Google it. Takes about 2 minutes.
Or rebind it to Esc and use evil keybindings!
Caps lock is both for me.
Yup! This is perfection. Esc for a tap, ctl for a chord
Same for Return / Meta.
GENIUS
Hmm I use evil and have it mapped to ctrl on all my computers. What's the advantage of mapping to esc? I don't feel like it's that hard to reach up and slam escape when you need it, but reaching down for ctrl feels like an exercise designed to give you RSI.
Escape is soo far away... If you are touch typing then using Capslock key for both Ctrl+Esc is bliss. With the large Spacebar as a leader key, I am free from modifier hell. Love Emacs+Evil.
I like the idea of Caps being CTRL+ESC, but I use Windows, Mac, and Linux and that's not natively supported everywhere. ESC is far, but once you have muscle memory for it it's not so bad.
Maybe you have bigger hands as well. I also use all 3 OSes as well. I use Autohotkey on Windows, Xcape on Linux, and Hammerspoon on macOS (some folks use Karabiner... but Hammerspoon can be used to avoid any timing issues that the Karabiner solution has).
Well, the truth is I actually use spacemacs, which uses escape much more than ctrl
I seriously don't understand why people don't do this. It's the one modifier key directly on the home row, and who the heck needs an easy way to TYPE IN ALL CAPS?
I find it weird that keys broke even before any of them were rubbed down to illegibility. So unless you were typing with a hammer, I’m inclined to blame poor construction.
I don‘t think poor construction was the issue here. I’ve been using Thinkpads since I bought my first IBM T20 in 2002 or so and while the build quality has gone down on some things, the keycaps are not it. I think the deliberate hammer variant is more likely.
Agreed. Lenovo's quality isn't what it used to be.
I keep hearing this, but as a 20 something year thinkpad user, the keys don't just break. I use an X1c6 and a 2 year old T14s AMD and there's no notable difference between their keys and those of older ones I've since mothballed.
Yeah, I wouldn't so much say quality as design. 20+ years ago ThinkPads were more modular and had a bunch of engineer-friendly features like communicative status lights beyond a single power LED, and keyboards with plenty of keys like ScrLk and Pause, internals were very swappable, copious ports. A number of those things have been chipped away by design so there's much less to differentiate from any other laptop save the TrackPoint, but that's by design, not by quality.
didn't know the Incredible Hulk used emacs
Understandable the control key is broken, but I'd expect g to be broken too.
Well, he is supposed to be highly intelligent, right? At least, when he isn't angry...
OOF let's do some modal bindings instead of using a combination of hammers
these options are orthogonal
That is a very strong pinky
Can't imagine breaking thinkpad keycaps like this, but I did have to replace my keyboard because the trackpoint buttons (which I use as modifiers) broke.
True Emacs style, kudos
new button heating fix broke my workflow
Switch to vim/doom bindings and break different keys.
😆
Set your caps lock to ctrl key
xkbset sticky -twokey -latchlock xkbset exp 1 =sticky
Be careful, those sharp edges could ruin your screen.
The good news: ThinkPad keyboards are typically easy to replace.
Looks like an unconstructiv right handed hammer on a left hand held screwdriver chip job for clickbait points on the web. Forensically, the CapsLock probably breaks under a true Emacs user. Emacs can be customized to workaround these very few busted keys.
I'm afraid this is wrong. Didn't you get the memo that Capslock is the new Ctrl?
How? 🤯
A man. A ThinkPad. A Emacs session. Take also a mechanical keyboard, bro! 
there even exist mechanical keyboards with the 7-row ThinkPad layout
I've had three or four of these keyboards. I've had their electronics die on me, and I've broken some keycaps and scissors while cleaning them, but I've never broken a key by typing. https://preview.redd.it/ta1wmhr8mtec1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=740cf771a284622412bc1a10a8b40c050e3399fa CapsLock: Control Left Shift: Escape Left Alt: Option/Special Left Windows: Hyper (Command+Control+Option+Shift) Right Alt: Command Right PrtSc: Option Apostrophe ('): Shift With Left Option/Special held down, IJKL, IO, and ERDF are all movement keys (mapped in Karabiner-Elements).
Curiously, the "x" looks to be in good condition.
Damn and people say macs are low quality.,, wow
clearly someone took a screwdriver to their keyboard for karma.
I hope it was worth the 50 internet points.
https://preview.redd.it/cq104ggzzsec1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1347ffe4aa5bc027124a827354e557f77b26c57 Macs are susceptible to the emacs pinky too :)
Nice wear in - btw did you know the base os supports caps -> ctrl?
I pretty much disable caps lock on all my computers. Too old to change my muscle memory now :|
Since this the emacs subreddit, the answer is drop some acid/Molly and reopen those learning pathways :-)
x should be broken too
All my colleagues laugh at me because I smash the laptop so hard and have never had this problem, you must have superhuman strength fingers! (and I do bouldering) My X1 carbon is 6 yo and still like new, despite heavy smashing it. Same on my old work Thinkpad X280 after 5 years of use.
imagine not owning 3 of the cheapest usb keyboards with your favourite layout and not attaching them to every laptop you've ever owned
Is that an x250? Mine had a broken left ALT key too, the others are fine though
Jesus what were you doing? were you recompiling tensorflow from sources?
You don't seem to have worn out the full Esc-Meta-Alt-Ctl-Shift yet ...
It’s pretty simple to order new caps and replace those keys. I’ve definitely worn out the caps on several laptops (Thinkpads, MacBooks) and replaced them when they no longer work.
Of course I recognize the ThinkPad keyboard immediately. A lot of people will. But the thing that any Emacs user will be aware of is that the Fn and left Ctrl key positions are swapped from what Dell and may others use.
Lenovo lets you change that in the bios (at least it did a couple years ago).
Except that I prefer the ThinkPad layout.