ESC going to layer initian, even when I removed the key-combo from config file

[jaysonwcs]

Hi. I would like to make the escape key work as usual, while not exiting the mouse layer, but ESC is always going back to the initial layer whenever I press it. This is my config file:

# the keyboard devices it reads from, if no devices are specified, it reads from all
devices:
  - "/dev/input/by-id/usb-LITEON_Technology_USB_Keyboard-event-kbd"
# - "/dev/input/by-id/SOME_KEYBOARD_REPLACE_ME-event-kbd"

# this is executed when mouseless starts, e.g. useful for setting the keyboard layout
# startCommand: "setxkbmap de"

# the default speed for mouse movement and scrolling
baseMouseSpeed: 750.0
baseScrollSpeed: 20.0

# the time it takes to accelerate to baseMouseSpeed (in ms), 0 to reach top speed immediately
mouseAccelerationTime: 200.0
# the shape of the acceleration curve, 1.0 is linear, higher values have more time at low speeds
mouseAccelerationCurve: 2.0
# speed of the mouse when it starts moving
startMouseSpeed: 0.0
# same for deceleration
mouseDecelerationTime: 300.0
mouseDecelerationCurve: 3.0

# the rest of the config defines the layers with their bindings
layers:
# the first layer is active at start
- name: initial
  bindings:
    # when tab is held and another key pressed, activate mouse layer
    # tab: tap-hold-next tab ; toggle-layer mouse ; 500
    numlock: tap-hold-next numlock ; toggle-layer mouse ; 500
    # when a is held for 300ms, activate mouse layer
    #a: tap-hold a ; toggle-layer mouse ; 300
    ## right alt key toggles arrows layer
    # rightalt: toggle-layer arrows
    ## switch escape with capslock
    # esc: capslock
    # capslock: esc
# a layer for mouse movement
- name: mouse
  # when true, keys that are not mapped keep their original meaning
  passThrough: true
  bindings:
    # quit mouse layer
    # q: layer initial
    
    z: layer initial
    # keep the mouse layer active
    space: layer mouse
    r: reload-config
    # l: move  1  0
    # j: move -1  0
    # k: move  0  1
    # i: move  0 -1
    d: move  1  0
    a: move -1  0
    s: move  0  1
    w: move  0 -1
    # p: scroll up
    # n: scroll down
    leftbrace: scroll up
    apostrophe: scroll down
    rightshift: speed 4.0
    # leftalt: speed 4.0
    # e: speed 0.3
    # w: speed 0.1
    rightctrl: speed 0.3
    compose: speed 0.1
    # capslock: speed 0.1
    # f: button left
    # d: button middle
    # s: button right
    semicolon: button left
    p: button middle
    rightbrace: button right
    # move to the top left corner
    k0: "exec xdotool mousemove 0 0"
# # another layer for arrows and some other keys
# - name: arrows
#   passThrough: false
#   bindings:
#     e: up
#     s: left
#     d: down
#     f: right
#     q: esc
#     w: backspace
#     r: delete
#     v: enter
#     # _ is the wildcard key, which matches any key that is not mapped
#     _: rightalt+_

[jbensmann]

Yes you're right, I did this so that one can always go to the initial layer and not get stuck somewhere else, but would be good if one could disable this. I think what I will do is disable this when one explicitly maps the esc key, so in your case one could add a binding esc: esc to the mouse layer.

[jaysonwcs]

It's really nice that you thought about avoiding the user getting stuck. Makes a lot of sense.

The option to explicitly disable the ESC default behavior or to disable when the key was mapped is perfect in my opinion.

[rraafays]

i would highly appreciate this too to solve the inconsistency i have between mouseless and karabiner as i have space when held as a meta key and when i do hold space (navigation layer) + escape i get tmuxes copy vi modemm