Git commands (alt / option key bindings) not working

[franciscolourenco]

Git Status

Ctrl+Alt+s doesn't do anything

Commit hash

Ctrl+Alt+l clears the console

---

Any idea why these might not be working? Thanks!

macOs 10.15.6
iTerm2 Build 3.4.0beta6
fish, version 3.1.2
git version 2.29.0

$ bind
bind --preset \cy yank
bind --preset \ey yank-pop
bind --preset -k right forward-char
bind --preset -k left backward-char
bind --preset \e\[C forward-char
bind --preset \e\[D backward-char
bind --preset -k ppage beginning-of-history
bind --preset -k npage end-of-history
bind --preset \cx fish_clipboard_copy
bind --preset \cv fish_clipboard_paste
bind --preset \e cancel
bind --preset \t complete
bind --preset \cs pager-toggle-search
bind --preset -k btab complete-and-search
bind --preset \e\n commandline\ -i\ \\n
bind --preset \e\r commandline\ -i\ \\n
bind --preset -k down down-or-search
bind --preset -k up up-or-search
bind --preset \e\[A up-or-search
bind --preset \e\[B down-or-search
bind --preset -k sright forward-bigword
bind --preset -k sleft backward-bigword
bind --preset \e\eOC nextd-or-forward-word
bind --preset \e\eOD prevd-or-backward-word
bind --preset \e\e\[C nextd-or-forward-word
bind --preset \e\e\[D prevd-or-backward-word
bind --preset \eO3C nextd-or-forward-word
bind --preset \eO3D prevd-or-backward-word
bind --preset \e\[3C nextd-or-forward-word
bind --preset \e\[3D prevd-or-backward-word
bind --preset \e\[1\;3C nextd-or-forward-word
bind --preset \e\[1\;3D prevd-or-backward-word
bind --preset \e\[1\;9C nextd-or-forward-word
bind --preset \e\[1\;9D prevd-or-backward-word
bind --preset \e\eOA history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \e\eOB history-token-search-forward
bind --preset \e\e\[A history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \e\e\[B history-token-search-forward
bind --preset \eO3A history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \eO3B history-token-search-forward
bind --preset \e\[3A history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \e\[3B history-token-search-forward
bind --preset \e\[1\;3A history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \e\[1\;3B history-token-search-forward
bind --preset \e\[1\;9A history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \e\[1\;9B history-token-search-forward
bind --preset \e. history-token-search-backward
bind --preset \el __fish_list_current_token
bind --preset \ew __fish_whatis_current_token
bind --preset \cl echo\ -n\ \(clear\ \|\ string\ replace\ \\e\\\[3J\ \"\"\)\;\ commandline\ -f\ repaint
bind --preset \cc __fish_cancel_commandline
bind --preset \cu backward-kill-line
bind --preset \cw backward-kill-path-component
bind --preset \e\[F end-of-line
bind --preset \e\[H beginning-of-line
bind --preset \ed kill-word
bind --preset \cd delete-or-exit
bind --preset \es __fish_prepend_sudo
bind --preset -k f1 __fish_man_page
bind --preset \eh __fish_man_page
bind --preset \ep __fish_paginate
bind --preset \e\# __fish_toggle_comment_commandline
bind --preset \ee edit_command_buffer
bind --preset \ev edit_command_buffer
bind --preset \e\[I 'emit fish_focus_in'
bind --preset \e\[O false
bind --preset \e\[\?1004h false
bind --preset -m paste \e\[200\~ __fish_start_bracketed_paste
bind --preset -M paste \e\[201\~ __fish_stop_bracketed_paste
bind --preset -M paste '' self-insert
bind --preset -M paste \r commandline\ -i\ \\n
bind --preset -M paste \' __fish_commandline_insert_escaped\ \\\'\ \$__fish_paste_quoted
bind --preset -M paste \\ __fish_commandline_insert_escaped\ \\\\\ \$__fish_paste_quoted
bind --preset -M paste ' ' self-insert-notfirst
bind --preset '' self-insert
bind --preset ' ' self-insert expand-abbr
bind --preset \n execute
bind --preset \r execute
bind --preset \ck kill-line
bind --preset -k dc delete-char
bind --preset -k backspace backward-delete-char
bind --preset � backward-delete-char
bind --preset \e\[1\~ beginning-of-line
bind --preset \e\[4\~ end-of-line
bind --preset -k home beginning-of-line
bind --preset -k end end-of-line
bind --preset -k sdc backward-delete-char
bind --preset \ca beginning-of-line
bind --preset \ce end-of-line
bind --preset \cp up-or-search
bind --preset \cn down-or-search
bind --preset \cf forward-char
bind --preset \cb backward-char
bind --preset \ct transpose-chars
bind --preset \et transpose-words
bind --preset \eu upcase-word
bind --preset \ec capitalize-word
bind --preset \e� backward-kill-word
bind --preset \e\b backward-kill-word
bind --preset \eb backward-word
bind --preset \ef forward-word
bind --preset \e\[1\;5C forward-word
bind --preset \e\[1\;5D backward-word
bind --preset \e\< beginning-of-buffer
bind --preset \e\> end-of-buffer
bind \cf __fzf_search_current_dir
bind \cr __fzf_search_history
bind \cv __fzf_search_shell_variables
bind \e\cl __fzf_search_git_log
bind \e\cs __fzf_search_git_status

[PatrickF1]

But the other key bindings work?
If so, I suspect iTerm is intercepting the alt key and doing something else with it. Can you try this? https://www.clairecodes.com/blog/2018-10-15-making-the-alt-key-work-in-iterm2/

[franciscolourenco]

Yes, other key bindings work.

As far as I understand that article only remaps the ⌥→ and ⌥← combinations to replicate the cursor navigation shortcuts of macOS. This is something I had already done before:

[franciscolourenco]

For what it is worth, the git bindings also don't work with the Terminal.app

[franciscolourenco]

I've also tried quitting Karabiner-Elements.app

[PatrickF1]

Hello again! Sorry to hear it still doesn't work. Do any of your alt keybindings work? For example:

bind --preset \el __fish_list_current_token # basically runs ls
bind --preset \ev edit_command_buffer # edit command line using $EDITOR or $VISUAL
bind --preset \es __fish_prepend_sudo # prepends sudo to current command

[franciscolourenco]

They don't work either. In this case I think it is because macOS outputs alternative characters, each character corresponds to the respective shortcut ⌥l, ⌥v, and ⌥s, :

$ ¬√ß

Are you using Windows?

[PatrickF1]

I'm on macOS and they all work for me. I'm very confused. If even the preset fish alt bindings don't work for you, then I doubt the issue is with fzf.fish. I'm afraid I'm stumped and am out of ideas. Perhaps try asking in the fish-shell repo?
But in the meantime a workaround is to use custom keybindings and set different key bindings for the git commands.

[franciscolourenco]

Are you able to write alternative characters by pressing ⌥l, ⌥v, and ⌥s in other apps though?

[PatrickF1]

Indeed, I opened up Slack and typed them in: and got √߬

[PatrickF1]

For some reason, I am having the same problem in the terminal emulator in VSCode. the git bindings don't work but everything else does. EDIT: found solution here microsoft/vscode#11314

[PatrickF1]

@franciscolourenco did you try https://stackoverflow.com/questions/196357/making-iterm-to-translate-meta-key-in-the-same-way-as-in-other-oses?

[franciscolourenco]

@PatrickF1 Just tried, and remapping Option to Esc+ does work. Thanks!

[PatrickF1]

Great to hear! I'm going to add this to the troubleshooting.
For anyone coming to this issue and they're on Terminal.app, it also doesn't map option to the meta key. Solution: settings > profile > keyboard > Use Option as Meta.