'Cmd-c' shortcut doesn't work (on Mac) while 'Cmd-backspace' and 'C-c' does

[VasylBaran]

Summary

I'm loving helix. While trying to customize the shortcuts a bit I've added the following to my config.toml:

Cmd-c = "yank"
Cmd-v = "paste_after"

In this configuration 'paste_after' works but 'yank' doesn't (nothing happens)

If I trigger 'yank' in a usual way (Space + y) it works, so it's more about the shortcut rather than about method.

Similar trouble with 'S-backspace' assigned to "delete_selection" - nothing happens when it's 'S-backspace' but 'Cmd-backspace' works.

Reproduction Steps

Add the following to config.toml:

Cmd-c = "yank"
Cmd-v = "paste_after"

When I press "Cmd-c" (Command+C) I expected the selection to get copied (yanked). Instead, nothing happens.

Helix log

No response

Platform

macOS

Terminal Emulator

Alacritty

Installation Method

source

Helix Version

24.07 (e14c346)

[VasylBaran]

@the-mikedavis thank you for adding support for Cmd key in 271c32f

I wonder, have you tried to assign any action to 'Cmd-c' shortcut inside config.toml file? Does it work for you and does it trigger the action?

Thanks again! ;-)

[VasylBaran]

A Cmd-c binding works for me locally but I'm using Linux and Kitty. Either macOS or the terminal emulator might be eating that keypress (I would suspect macOS). Also note that super bindings (Cwd/Win/Meta) require a terminal that supports the enhanced keyboard protocol - I'm not sure off the top of my head whether Alacritty does. You can check by starting Helix with hx -vv and looking for a line like "[DEBUG] The keyboard enhancement protocol is supported in this terminal (checked in 3.140555ms)". (It will say "is not" if Alacritty doesn't support the enhanced keyboard protocol.)

you're absolutely right! The same shortcut works in kitty, but not in Alacritty. Although I do see "helix_tui::backend::crossterm [DEBUG] The keyboard enhancement protocol is supported in this terminal" so theoretically it "should" work. Thank you for your insight @the-mikedavis!

[VasylBaran]

Cmd-c however doesn't work, not even in kitty =(

[VasylBaran]

Cmd-S-c works, Cmd-c doesn't

[astrob3rry]

I'm also experiencing this key remapping difficulty on Kitty (macOS): Cmd-S-c yanks, but Cmd-c doesn't.

[NathanielWroblewski]

I am experiencing difficulties mapping Cmd+c as well:

• I am running helix through wezterm on NixOS.
• I've set the line enable_kitty_keyboard = true in my wezterm.lua configuration
• I've verified that the keyboard enhancement protocol is detected by opening helix with hx -vv and then executing :log-open, jumping to the bottom with ge and locating the following log entry:

2025-07-07T00:09:16.141 helix_tui::backend::crossterm [DEBUG] The keyboard enhancement protocol is supported in this terminal (checked in 4.611393ms)

• my helix configuration has the following entries:

[editor]
clipboard-provider = "wayland"
default-yank-register = "+"

[keys.normal]
Cmd-c = "yank"
Cmd-v = "paste_after"

[keys.select]
Cmd-c = "yank"
Cmd-v = "paste_after"

• I have also tried the above configuration with numerous other yank commands: :yank, :yank-join :clipboard-yank :clipboard-yank-join :primary-clipboard-yank :primary-clipboard-yank-join yank yank_joined yank_to_clipboard yank_to_primary_clipboard yank_joined_to_clipboard yank_main_selection_to_clipboard yank_joined_to_primary_clipboard yank_main_selection_to_primary_clipboard etc

Ultimately, Cmd-c doesn't yank to the + register.

I do have another keybinding in the wezterm config file which works in the terminal, but not within helix:

 keys = {
        {
          key = 'c',
          mods = 'CMD',
          action = wezterm.action.CopyTo 'Clipboard',
        },
        {
          key = 'v',
          mods = 'CMD',
          action = wezterm.action.PasteFrom 'Clipboard',
        },
      },

I am also running niri but have disabled niri's bindings to cmd+c and cmd+v.

As far as I know, nothing else should be bound to the command.

Just to be sure, I disabled the wezterm key-binding, and still hx does not detect the yank.
I should also add, that I've gotten the Cmd-v binding to work, but nothing seems to work with Cmd-c in particular.