custom_config.h to cycle through the last argument of previous shell commands using ESC DOT (ZMK)

[Paul-van-Klaveren]

In a shell (command line, Terminal, bash, zsh etc.) I often want to quickly summon the last argument of a previously entered shell command(s), by pressing ESC DOT, for example:

❯ ls long/path/that/takes/nontrivial/time/to/type/or/tabcomplete
❯ cp # Press ESC DOT
❯ cp long/path/that/takes/nontrivial/time/to/type/or/tabcomplete .

Currently, without customizations Miryoku does not support this, because holding my (emulated third thumb) ESC will activate the media layer. Consequently, pressing the key that has DOT in the base layer activates bluetooth#3.

By learning the Miryoku layout, I've memorized tapping ESC with my thumb, so ideally I'd be able to hold it down (activating the media layer) and press the physical key that acts as the DOT in the base layer. That should trigger the combination ESC+DOT.

For starters, by following the Substitute Layer instructions in the Miryoku Customisation Documentation #85 , I have moved the bluetooth keys to the top row (since I don't have RGB on my keyboard that needs controlling) and out of the way – at least I won't trigger those accidentally anymore.

So far, I haven't been able to figure out how to trigger the 'combination ESC+DOT' on pressing the single DOT key in the media layer.
(I've read posts of people binding commonly used strings to a key, but I doubt if that would work in my case)
Can anyone please advise on how to best set the ESC+DOT? 🙏🏻

For the time being, I have overridden the base layer with a new combo using the top-left key on my keyboard U_MT(ESC, Q). My muscle memory still remembers that an Escape key can be found in the top-left.

custom_config.h

// Copyright 2021 Manna Harbour
// https://github.com/manna-harbour/miryoku

#define MIRYOKU_LAYER_BASE \
U_MT(ESC, Q),      &kp W,             &kp E,             &kp R,             &kp T,             &kp Y,             &kp U,             &kp I,             &kp O,             &kp P,             \
U_MT(LGUI, A),     U_MT(LALT, S),     U_MT(LCTRL, D),    U_MT(LSHFT, F),    &kp G,             &kp H,             U_MT(LSHFT, J),    U_MT(LCTRL, K),    U_MT(LALT, L),     U_MT(LGUI, SQT),   \
U_LT(U_BUTTON, Z), U_MT(RALT, X),     &kp C,             &kp V,             &kp B,             &kp N,             &kp M,             &kp COMMA,         U_MT(RALT, DOT),   U_LT(U_BUTTON, SLASH),\
U_NP,              U_NP,              U_LT(U_MEDIA, ESC),U_LT(U_NAV, SPACE),U_LT(U_MOUSE, TAB),U_LT(U_SYM, RET),  U_LT(U_NUM, BSPC), U_LT(U_FUN, DEL),  U_NP,              U_NP

#define MIRYOKU_LAYER_MEDIA \
U_BOOT,            &u_to_U_TAP,       &u_to_U_EXTRA,     &u_to_U_BASE,      U_NA,              &u_out_tog,        &u_bt_sel_0,       &u_bt_sel_1,       &u_bt_sel_2,       &u_bt_sel_3,       \
&kp LGUI,          &kp LALT,          &kp LCTRL,         &kp LSHFT,         U_NA,              U_EP_TOG,          &kp C_PREV,        &kp C_VOL_DN,      &kp C_VOL_UP,      &kp C_NEXT,        \
U_NA,              &kp RALT,          &u_to_U_FUN,       &u_to_U_MEDIA,     U_NA,              U_NA,              U_NA,              U_NA,              &kp ESC(DOT),      U_NA,              \
U_NP,              U_NP,              U_NA,              U_NA,              U_NA,              &kp C_STOP,        &kp C_PP,          &kp C_MUTE,        U_NP,              U_N

---

Note

I'm aware that I can typ !$ to summon the last argument of just the previous command:

❯ cp !$ 

However, I prefer to use the ESC DOT combo for several reasons: per motto "Make full use of the thumbs", my mind expects to use the ESC there, and because it saves me an uncomfortable additional keystroke with the left ring finger (holding symbol layer, followed by pressing the ! and $ consecutively)

[Paul-van-Klaveren]

I've marked this post as Show and tell, because it contains a custom config with a temporary solution. I will update the post with a final solution if that turns out to be possible. I didn't see how to label the post "Miryoku ZMK", hence the postfix in the title.

[manna-harbour]

Thanks for sharing your custom_config.h.

Fun has basic versions of the other left thumbs so they can be held, but has App instead of Esc. You could replace App with Esc if you don't need App. But that is for auto-repeat. That won't really work if you need to use Esc as a mod as you won't have access to other layers.

To add extra mods (including Esc as a mod) I'd suggest replacing AltGr (under Alt on both sides), e.g. X on Base would be a hold-tap with X on tap and Esc on hold.

Alternatively, to preserve the same fingers, an Esc-. macro could be added as a combo of Esc and ..

Or disable layer tap on Esc if you don't need Media.

Or enable quick-tap-ms and then tap and quickly hold Esc.

I apply the labels manually, done now.

[Paul-van-Klaveren]

Thanks for the suggestions. I still lean towards setting a macro, but I'm running into errors.

In custom_config.h I define the macro like you seemed to suggest in another Q&A Answer:

#define MACRO_ESCAPE_DOT \
U_MACRO(u_escape_dot, bindings = <&macro_press &kp ESC>, <&macro_tap &kp DOT>, <&macro_release &kp ESC>;)

Then in the (already overridden) layer MIRYOKU_LAYER_MEDIA I set MACRO_ESCAPE_DOT at the 'DOT key location'.

However, when I run the GitHub Action workflow, I get build errors

Excerpt from build log

  In file included from /__w/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/config/splitkb_aurora_sweep.keymap:6,
                   from <command-line>:
  /__w/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/config/../miryoku/miryoku.dtsi:28:1: error: macro "MIRYOKU_LAYOUTMAPPING_FERRIS" passed 42 arguments, but takes just 40
     28 | MIRYOKU_LAYER_LIST
        | ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  In file included from /__w/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/config/splitkb_aurora_sweep.keymap:5:
  /__w/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/config/../miryoku/mapping/34/ferris.h:6: note: macro "MIRYOKU_LAYOUTMAPPING_FERRIS" defined here
      6 | #define MIRYOKU_LAYOUTMAPPING_FERRIS( \
        | 
  CMake Error at /__w/miryoku_zmk/miryoku_zmk/zmk/zephyr/cmake/modules/extensions.cmake:3885 (message):
    failed to preprocess devicetree files (error code 1):

Full custom_config.h

// Copyright 2021 Manna Harbour
// https://github.com/manna-harbour/miryoku

#define MACRO_ESCAPE_DOT \
U_MACRO(u_escape_dot, bindings = <&macro_press &kp ESC>, <&macro_tap &kp DOT>, <&macro_release &kp ESC>;)

#define MIRYOKU_LAYER_BASE \
U_MT(ESC, Q),      &kp W,             &kp E,             &kp R,             &kp T,             &kp Y,             &kp U,             &kp I,             &kp O,             &kp P,             \
U_MT(LGUI, A),     U_MT(LALT, S),     U_MT(LCTRL, D),    U_MT(LSHFT, F),    &kp G,             &kp H,             U_MT(LSHFT, J),    U_MT(LCTRL, K),    U_MT(LALT, L),     U_MT(LGUI, SQT),   \
U_LT(U_BUTTON, Z), U_MT(RALT, X),     &kp C,             &kp V,             &kp B,             &kp N,             &kp M,             &kp COMMA,         U_MT(RALT, DOT),   U_LT(U_BUTTON, SLASH),\
U_NP,              U_NP,              U_LT(U_MEDIA, ESC),U_LT(U_NAV, SPACE),U_LT(U_MOUSE, TAB),U_LT(U_SYM, RET),  U_LT(U_NUM, BSPC), U_LT(U_FUN, DEL),  U_NP,              U_NP

#define MIRYOKU_LAYER_MEDIA \
U_BOOT,            &u_to_U_TAP,       &u_to_U_EXTRA,     &u_to_U_BASE,      U_NA,              &u_out_tog,        &u_bt_sel_0,       &u_bt_sel_1,       &u_bt_sel_2,       &u_bt_sel_3,       \
&kp LGUI,          &kp LALT,          &kp LCTRL,         &kp LSHFT,         U_NA,              U_EP_TOG,          &kp C_PREV,        &kp C_VOL_DN,      &kp C_VOL_UP,      &kp C_NEXT,        \
U_NA,              &kp RALT,          &u_to_U_FUN,       &u_to_U_MEDIA,     U_NA,              U_NA,              U_NA,              U_NA,              MACRO_ESCAPE_DOT,  U_NA,              \
U_NP,              U_NP,              U_NA,              U_NA,              U_NA,              &kp C_STOP,        &kp C_PP,          &kp C_MUTE,        U_NP,              U_N

What is missing/wrong here?

[manna-harbour]

You can use U_MACRO to declare the macro, or you can do it directly. But you don't need to define a cpp macro for it (MACRO_ESCAPE_DOT in this case) unless you are paramatarising it to create multiple behaviors, and in any case you can't use that cpp macro in the keymap, you use the behavior names (or other cpp macros that expand to same) in the keymap.