Custom Keybindings

All keybindings in microNeo are defined in a single JSON file that users can freely customize.

File Location¶

~/.config/microNeo/bindings.json

Use the --config <dir> flag at startup to temporarily override the configuration directory.

File Structure¶

The top level of bindings.json is an object where each key corresponds to a pane type (editor region). microNeo reads them at startup in this order:

Default values for each section (built into microNeo)
User-defined configurations from bindings.json

Later entries override earlier ones. So if the default is Ctrl-S → Save and the user writes "Ctrl-S": "Quit" in the file, Ctrl-S becomes Quit.

Four Sections¶

Section	Purpose
`buffer`	Main editor (editing files, writing code)
`command`	Command-line mode (enter with `Ctrl-E`, type commands after `:`)
`notepane`	notePane (the input box for chatting with AI)
`terminal`	Terminal panel

Top-Level vs Section Syntax¶

Both syntaxes work:

{
    "Ctrl-S": "Save"
}

is equivalent to:

{
    "buffer": {
        "Ctrl-S": "Save"
    }
}

Top-level keys default to the buffer section. To configure exclusive actions for notePane or command, you must use section syntax — otherwise the action will be rejected (the top-level key is treated as belonging to buffer section).

Common Examples¶

1. Change the notePane send key¶

The default Alt-Enter is the send key. To switch it to F5:

{
    "buffer": {
        "F5": "NotePaneOpen"
    },
    "notepane": {
        "F5": "NotePaneSend"
    }
}

buffer section: F5 opens notePane from the main editor
notepane section: F5 sends the draft from inside notePane

The two sections are independent — you must write two lines to remap a key.

2. Disable a key¶

To disable Alt-Enter (make it a no-op):

{
    "buffer": {
        "Alt-Enter": "None"
    },
    "notepane": {
        "Alt-Enter": "None"
    }
}

None is a special action in microNeo meaning "do nothing". This is the standard way to remap a key: first disable the old key, then bind the new key.
Like vim and other editors, microNeo supports multiple keys mapping to the same action (e.g. Ctrl-H, Backspace, Shift-Backspace all map to Backspace). So if you want your newly defined key to override a built-in key, you must explicitly set the built-in key to "None".

3. Change common editing keys¶

notePane automatically follows the main editor's common editing key configuration:

{
    "buffer": {
        "Enter":   "None",
        "Alt-a":   "StartOfLine",
        "Tab":     "InsertTab"
    }
}

Enter is disabled in notePane
Alt-a jumps to the beginning of the line in notePane as well (default is StartOfText)
Tab follows the composite chain

4. notePane's Esc cannot be remapped¶

Esc is hard-bound to NotePaneClose in notePane and cannot be overridden by the user's Esc: None. This is a microNeo safety mechanism to prevent users from trapping themselves inside notePane with no way out.

Full Action List¶

To see all available actions, run:

:command help

Or refer to the upstream micro documentation: micro Bindings.

FAQ¶

My bindings.json reports an error. What should I do?¶

Check the JSON format: - Trailing commas at the end - Quotes should be plain ASCII double quotes - Key names should be in "Alt-Enter" format (not <Alt-Enter>)

You can validate the format with JSONLint.

My changes to bindings.json don't take effect?¶

Check that the file path is correct (~/.config/microNeo/bindings.json, not the upstream micro location)
Check that the JSON format is valid
Try restarting microNeo