Terminal.Gui Key Binding Config Examples

This folder contains example config.json files that override Terminal.Gui's default key bindings to match platform conventions.

How to Use

Copy the desired file to ~/.tui/config.json (the global Terminal.Gui config location).

On Windows ~ expands to C:\Users\<username>.
On macOS/Linux ~ expands to /home/<username> (or /Users/<username> on macOS).

What Each File Changes

macos.json — macOS-style bindings (for Windows users)

Overrides Terminal.Gui's default key bindings to match macOS conventions:

Note: Emacs navigation shortcuts (Ctrl+B/Ctrl+F for left/right in text fields, Ctrl+N/Ctrl+P for up/down in text views and lists) are already available on all platforms — no override needed.

windows.json — Windows-style bindings (for macOS users)

Overrides Terminal.Gui's default key bindings to match Windows conventions:

Limitation: Emacs navigation shortcuts built into text views (Ctrl+B, Ctrl+F, Ctrl+N, Ctrl+P, Ctrl+K, etc.) are set in C# code and cannot be removed via config.json. They remain available alongside the standard keys.

How It Works

Terminal.Gui's ConfigurationManager loads ~/.tui/config.json and uses it to replace the values of three key binding properties:

• Application.DefaultKeyBindings — app-level commands (Quit, Suspend, Tab navigation)
• View.DefaultKeyBindings — shared commands across all views (navigation, clipboard, editing)
• View.ViewKeyBindings — per-view overrides (keyed by view type name, e.g. "TextField")

The JSON format maps command names to PlatformKeyBinding objects:

{
    "Application.DefaultKeyBindings": {
        "Quit": { "All": ["Esc", "Ctrl+Q"] }
    },
    "View.DefaultKeyBindings": {
        "Undo": { "All": ["Ctrl+Z"], "Linux": ["Ctrl+/"], "Macos": ["Ctrl+/"] }
    },
    "View.ViewKeyBindings": {
        "TextField": {
            "WordLeft": { "All": ["Ctrl+CursorLeft"] }
        }
    }
}

Each PlatformKeyBinding has four optional fields:

Important: When you override a property (e.g. View.DefaultKeyBindings), your JSON replaces the entire default dictionary. Any command you omit reverts to having no binding from that layer. Always include all commands you want active.