3) backtick hold = F17

By the same logic I have a second layer on backtick: a tap types the character, and a hold sends the virtual F17. I use this layer as an “entry” to an additional command hierarchy through Leader Key.

The scheme is this: holding backtick turns on the layer, and from there I can drop into sublayers by meaning.

For example, backtick (hold) + F means Finder for me. After that the nearest keys on the keyboard become quick shortcuts for opening the folders I need in Finder. This turns navigating the file structure into a couple of presses, with no searching the sidebar and no clicking by hand.

I’ve made a sublayer for ChatGPT in the same way: backtick (hold) + G. In this mode the nearest keys open the right project in ChatGPT. In essence it’s a “project menu under your fingers” that comes up instantly and works predictably.

The convenience of this second layer is that it doesn’t mix everything into one plane: one layer is for everyday navigation, and the backtick layer becomes the entry to deeper, thematic sublayers (folders, projects, tools).

In the next post I’ll show how I make targeted fixes to Russian punctuation in Karabiner without breaking the layout.