OSX layer

Table of ContentsClose

1. Description
- 1.1. Features:
2. Philosophy
3. Install
- 3.1. Layer
  - 3.1.1. Use with non-US keyboard layouts
  - 3.1.2. Define words using macOS Dictionary
- 3.2. Coreutils
4. Key bindings
5. Future Work

1. Description

Spacemacs is not just Emacs plus Vim. It can have macOS key bindings too! This layer globally defines common macOS key bindings.

1.1. Features:

⌘ is set to hyper and ⌥ is set to meta
In dired use gls instead of ls
Fix separator colors of Spaceline mode-line

2. Philosophy

While this layer enables common macOS bindings, it does not implement macOS navigation key bindings. Spacemacs is meant to be used with Evil, and we encourage you to do so :)

3. Install

3.1. Layer

To use this configuration layer, add it to your ~/.spacemacs. You will need to add osx to the existing dotspacemacs-configuration-layers list in this file. The different modifier keys can be set as follows:

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
   (osx :variables osx-command-as       'hyper
                   osx-option-as        'meta
                   osx-control-as       'control
                   osx-function-as      nil
                   osx-right-command-as 'left
                   osx-right-option-as  'left
                   osx-right-control-as 'left
                   osx-swap-option-and-command nil)))

These are also the default values. Setting the right modifier to left will equal the left modifier. Allowed values are: super, meta, control, alt and nil. Setting nil for modifiers will leave the left modifiers as emacs default. Setting osx-swap-option-and-command to t will swap command and option key.

3.1.1. Use with non-US keyboard layouts

If you need the ⌥ key to type common characters such as {[]}~ which is usual for e.g. Finnish and Swedish keyboard layouts, you'll probably want to leave the ⌥ key unchanged by setting the osx-option-as variable to none:

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
   (osx :variables osx-option-as 'none)))

If you have problem entering symbols that are behind the ⌥ key you may want to set the variables as follows. This will allow you to use the right ⌥ key to write symbols. The left ⌥ key can be used as the Meta key.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
   (osx :variables osx-option-as 'meta
                   osx-right-option-as 'none)))

3.1.2. Define words using macOS Dictionary

This layer by default enables defining words under point SPC x w d using macOS Dictionary. In some cases you might want to manually setup dictionary to use. For example,

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
   (osx :variables osx-dictionary-dictionary-choice "English")))

To get the list of available dictionaries call osx/list-available-dictionaries function.

You can disable it by setting osx-use-dictionary-app variable to nil:

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
   (osx :variables osx-use-dictionary-app nil)))

3.2. Coreutils

To get gls install coreutils homebrew:

brew install coreutils

4. Key bindings

Key binding	Description
`⌘ =`	Scale up text
`⌘ -`	Scale down text
`⌘ q`	Quit
`⌘ v`	Paste
`⌘ c`	Copy
`⌘ x`	Cut
`⌘ a`	Select all
`⌘ w`	Close window
`⌘ W`	Close frame
`⌘ n`	New frame
⌘ `	Other frame
`⌘ z`	Undo
`⌘ Z`	Redo
`⌃ ⌘ f`	Toggle fullscreen
`SPC x w d`	Define word under the point

5. Future Work

Allow user to choose from either hyper or super as ⌘. This is an option that is supported cross-platform.
Configurable option to keep the macOS and Spacemacs clipboards separate.