In Vim’s predecessor, vi, switching modes was easy, with the ESC key located neatly by the Q on the keyboard of the ADM-3A terminal. On modern keyboards, though, it’s a pain …
A simple trick in vim to alleviate the pain of reaching for the ESC key is using alt + l.
However, this may or may not work depending on the install. I don’t remember what exactly this keybind is for but on some systems I’ve seen it insert a special character. I’ve found it typically works with vim-enhanced and neovim.
I have switched ESC and Caps Lock for years now. It really makes things so much easier, but now I am the guy in that meme. At least partly: I struggle to find the ESC key on other people’s computers, but sadly I’m not 23 anymore.
It’s “setxkbmap -option caps:swapescape” btw.
