Merge pull request #2389 from ghostty-org/fn-globe

macOS: Allow binding the function/globe modifier

include/ghostty.h

@@ -88,12 +88,13 @@ typedef enum {
   GHOSTTY_MODS_CTRL = 1 << 1,
   GHOSTTY_MODS_ALT = 1 << 2,
   GHOSTTY_MODS_SUPER = 1 << 3,
-  GHOSTTY_MODS_CAPS = 1 << 4,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_FN = 1 << 4,
-  GHOSTTY_MODS_NUM = 1 << 5,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_CAPS = 1 << 5,
-  GHOSTTY_MODS_SHIFT_RIGHT = 1 << 6,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_NUM = 1 << 6,
-  GHOSTTY_MODS_CTRL_RIGHT = 1 << 7,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_SHIFT_RIGHT = 1 << 7,
-  GHOSTTY_MODS_ALT_RIGHT = 1 << 8,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_CTRL_RIGHT = 1 << 8,
-  GHOSTTY_MODS_SUPER_RIGHT = 1 << 9,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_ALT_RIGHT = 1 << 9,
+  GHOSTTY_MODS_SUPER_RIGHT = 1 << 10,
 } ghostty_input_mods_e;
 
 typedef enum {

macos/Sources/App/macOS/AppDelegate.swift

@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
         // This registers the Ghostty => Services menu to exist.
         NSApp.servicesMenu = menuServices
 
+        // Setup a local event monitor for app-level keyboard shortcuts. See
+        // localEventHandler for more info why.
+        _ = NSEvent.addLocalMonitorForEvents(
+            matching: [.keyDown],
+            handler: localEventHandler)
+
         // Configure user notifications
         let actions = [
             UNNotificationAction(identifier: Ghostty.userNotificationActionShow, title: "Show")
@@ -348,6 +354,11 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
             return
         }
 
+        if (equiv.modifiers.contains(.function)) {
+            // NSMenuItem key equivalent cannot contain function modifiers.
+            return
+        }
+
         menu.keyEquivalent = equiv.key
         menu.keyEquivalentModifierMask = equiv.modifiers
     }
@@ -356,6 +367,53 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
         return terminalManager.focusedSurface?.surface
     }
 
+    // MARK: Notifications and Events
+
+    /// This handles events from the NSEvent.addLocalEventMonitor. We use this so we can get
+    /// events without any terminal windows open.
+    private func localEventHandler(_ event: NSEvent) -> NSEvent? {
+        return switch event.type {
+        case .keyDown:
+            localEventKeyDown(event)
+
+        default:
+            event
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func localEventKeyDown(_ event: NSEvent) -> NSEvent? {
+        // If we have a main window then we don't process any of the keys
+        // because we let it capture and propagate.
+        guard NSApp.mainWindow == nil else { return event }
+
+        // If this event would be handled by our menu then we do nothing.
+        if let mainMenu = NSApp.mainMenu,
+           mainMenu.performKeyEquivalent(with: event) {
+            return nil
+        }
+
+        // If we reach this point then we try to process the key event
+        // through the Ghostty key mechanism.
+
+        // Ghostty must be loaded
+        guard let ghostty = self.ghostty.app else { return event }
+
+        // Build our event input and call ghostty
+        var key_ev = ghostty_input_key_s()
+        key_ev.action = GHOSTTY_ACTION_PRESS
+        key_ev.mods = Ghostty.ghosttyMods(event.modifierFlags)
+        key_ev.keycode = UInt32(event.keyCode)
+        key_ev.text = nil
+        key_ev.composing = false
+        if (ghostty_app_key(ghostty, key_ev)) {
+            // The key was used so we want to stop it from going to our Mac app
+            Ghostty.logger.debug("local key event handled event=\(event)")
+            return nil
+        }
+
+        return event
+    }
+
     //MARK: - Restorable State
 
     /// We support NSSecureCoding for restorable state. Required as of macOS Sonoma (14) but a good idea anyways.

macos/Sources/Ghostty/Ghostty.App.swift

@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ extension Ghostty {
             // Subscribe to notifications for keyboard layout change so that we can update Ghostty.
             NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
                 self,
-                selector: #selector(self.keyboardSelectionDidChange(notification:)),
+                selector: #selector(keyboardSelectionDidChange(notification:)),
                 name: NSTextInputContext.keyboardSelectionDidChangeNotification,
                 object: nil)
             #endif

macos/Sources/Ghostty/Ghostty.Input.swift

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ extension Ghostty {
         if (mods.rawValue & GHOSTTY_MODS_CTRL.rawValue != 0) { flags.insert(.control) }
         if (mods.rawValue & GHOSTTY_MODS_ALT.rawValue != 0) { flags.insert(.option) }
         if (mods.rawValue & GHOSTTY_MODS_SUPER.rawValue != 0) { flags.insert(.command) }
+        if (mods.rawValue & GHOSTTY_MODS_FN.rawValue != 0) { flags.insert(.function) }
         return flags
     }
 
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ extension Ghostty {
         if (flags.contains(.control)) { mods |= GHOSTTY_MODS_CTRL.rawValue }
         if (flags.contains(.option)) { mods |= GHOSTTY_MODS_ALT.rawValue }
         if (flags.contains(.command)) { mods |= GHOSTTY_MODS_SUPER.rawValue }
+        if (flags.contains(.function)) { mods |= GHOSTTY_MODS_FN.rawValue }
         if (flags.contains(.capsLock)) { mods |= GHOSTTY_MODS_CAPS.rawValue }
 
         // Handle sided input. We can't tell that both are pressed in the

macos/Sources/Ghostty/SurfaceView_AppKit.swift

@@ -726,6 +726,7 @@ extension Ghostty {
             case 0x3B, 0x3E: mod = GHOSTTY_MODS_CTRL.rawValue
             case 0x3A, 0x3D: mod = GHOSTTY_MODS_ALT.rawValue
             case 0x37, 0x36: mod = GHOSTTY_MODS_SUPER.rawValue
+            case 0x3F: mod = GHOSTTY_MODS_FN.rawValue
             default: return
             }
 

src/App.zig

@@ -294,9 +294,6 @@ pub fn keyEvent(
         .leaf => |leaf| leaf,
     };
 
-    // We only care about global keybinds
-    if (!leaf.flags.global) return false;
-
     // Perform the action
     self.performAllAction(rt_app, leaf.action) catch |err| {
         log.warn("error performing global keybind action action={s} err={}", .{

src/cli/list_keybinds.zig

@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ fn prettyPrint(alloc: Allocator, keybinds: Config.Keybinds) !u8 {
     const ctrl_style: vaxis.Style = .{ .fg = .{ .index = 2 } };
     const alt_style: vaxis.Style = .{ .fg = .{ .index = 3 } };
     const shift_style: vaxis.Style = .{ .fg = .{ .index = 4 } };
+    const fn_style: vaxis.Style = .{ .fg = .{ .index = 5 } };
 
     var longest_col: usize = 0;
 
@@ -142,6 +143,10 @@ fn prettyPrint(alloc: Allocator, keybinds: Config.Keybinds) !u8 {
 
         var result: vaxis.Window.PrintResult = .{ .col = 0, .row = 0, .overflow = false };
         const trigger = bind.trigger;
+        if (trigger.mods.function) {
+            result = try win.printSegment(.{ .text = "fn   ", .style = fn_style }, .{ .col_offset = result.col });
+            result = try win.printSegment(.{ .text = " + " }, .{ .col_offset = result.col });
+        }
         if (trigger.mods.super) {
             result = try win.printSegment(.{ .text = "super", .style = super_style }, .{ .col_offset = result.col });
             result = try win.printSegment(.{ .text = " + " }, .{ .col_offset = result.col });

src/config/Config.zig

@@ -670,9 +670,22 @@ class: ?[:0]const u8 = null,
 ///     translated by any system keyboard layouts. Example: "ctrl+physical:a"
 ///
 /// Valid modifiers are `shift`, `ctrl` (alias: `control`), `alt` (alias: `opt`,
-/// `option`), and `super` (alias: `cmd`, `command`). You may use the modifier
+/// `option`), `super` (alias: `cmd`, `command`), and `function` (alias: `fn`,
-/// or the alias. When debugging keybinds, the non-aliased modifier will always
+/// `globe`). You may use the modifier or the alias. When debugging keybinds,
-/// be used in output.
+/// the non-aliased modifier will always be used in output.
+///
+/// Some notes about the `function` modifier:
+///
+///   * It is only available on macOS.
+///   * It is used by many system shortcuts and Ghostty is not able to
+///     override these shortcuts. If a system shortcut is triggered, the
+///     system shortcut will take precedence.
+///   * If you have multiple keyboard layouts active and don't press the
+///     combination fast enough, macOS will switch to the next keyboard
+///     layout.
+///   * Menu items on macOS cannot be bound to the `function` modifier,
+///     so this modifier will work with Ghostty but will not be visible
+///     in the menu.
 ///
 /// You may also specify multiple triggers separated by `>` to require a
 /// sequence of triggers to activate the action. For example,

src/input/Binding.zig

@@ -896,9 +896,13 @@ pub const Trigger = struct {
 
             // Alias modifiers
             const alias_mods = .{
-                .{ "cmd", "super" },    .{ "command", "super" },
+                .{ "cmd", "super" },
-                .{ "opt", "alt" },      .{ "option", "alt" },
+                .{ "command", "super" },
+                .{ "opt", "alt" },
+                .{ "option", "alt" },
                 .{ "control", "ctrl" },
+                .{ "fn", "function" },
+                .{ "globe", "function" },
             };
             inline for (alias_mods) |pair| {
                 if (std.mem.eql(u8, part, pair[0])) {

src/input/key.zig

@@ -89,10 +89,11 @@ pub const Mods = packed struct(Mods.Backing) {
     ctrl: bool = false,
     alt: bool = false,
     super: bool = false,
+    function: bool = false,
     caps_lock: bool = false,
     num_lock: bool = false,
     sides: side = .{},
-    _padding: u6 = 0,
+    _padding: u5 = 0,
 
     /// Tracks the side that is active for any given modifier. Note
     /// that this doesn't confirm a modifier is pressed; you must check