Karabiner-Elements config: Caps Lock as Hyper Key with App and Config sublayers

karabiner.json

{
    "_notes": [
        "=== Hyper Key + Sublayer Design ===",
        "",
        "Caps Lock is remapped to a Hyper Key (left_shift + cmd + ctrl + opt).",
        "Tapped alone, Caps Lock still types Caps Lock (200ms hold).",
        "",
        "Sublayers work by Hyper + <leader> setting a variable while held,",
        "then a second key (no modifiers needed) is checked against that variable.",
        "Release the leader to exit the sublayer.",
        "",
        "--- Hyper + A → App sublayer (variable: hyper_sublayer_app) ---",
        "  F → Finder",
        "  G → Google Chrome",
        "  V → Visual Studio Code",
        "  O → Codex",
        "  N → Google Docs / Notes (Chrome PWA, bundle id com.google.Chrome.app.mpnpojknpmmopombnjdcgaaiekajbnjb)",
        "      Note: D was the natural choice but Hyper+D never reached the rule —",
        "      another shortcut on the system (likely Logitech Options or a macOS",
        "      lookup binding) swallowed the keypress, so we use N (notes) instead.",
        "",
        "--- Hyper + C → Config sublayer (variable: hyper_sublayer_config) ---",
        "  K → code ~/.config/karabiner/karabiner.json",
        "  . → code ~/code/general",
        "",
        "Note: shell_command runs without the user shell PATH, so use",
        "absolute paths (e.g. /usr/local/bin/code).",
        "",
        "Note: editing this profile via the Karabiner-Elements GUI may strip",
        "this _notes key. Keep a backup if that happens."
    ],
    "profiles": [
        {
            "complex_modifications": {
                "rules": [
                    {
                        "description": "Caps Lock → Hyper Key (^⌥⇧⌘) (Caps Lock if alone)",
                        "manipulators": [
                            {
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "caps_lock",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "key_code": "left_shift",
                                        "lazy": true,
                                        "modifiers": ["left_command", "left_control", "left_option"]
                                    }
                                ],
                                "to_if_alone": [
                                    {
                                        "hold_down_milliseconds": 200,
                                        "key_code": "caps_lock"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "type": "basic"
                            }
                        ]
                    },
                    {
                        "description": "Hyper + A → App sublayer",
                        "manipulators": [
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "a",
                                    "modifiers": {
                                        "mandatory": ["left_command", "left_control", "left_option", "left_shift"],
                                        "optional": ["caps_lock"]
                                    }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "set_variable": {
                                            "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                            "value": 1
                                        }
                                    }
                                ],
                                "to_after_key_up": [
                                    {
                                        "set_variable": {
                                            "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                            "value": 0
                                        }
                                    }
                                ]
                            }
                        ]
                    },
                    {
                        "description": "App sublayer: F→Finder, G→Chrome, V→VSCode, O→Codex, N→Google Docs (notes)",
                        "manipulators": [
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "f",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "open -a 'Finder'"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            },
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "g",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "open -a 'Google Chrome'"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            },
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "v",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "open -a 'Visual Studio Code'"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            },
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "o",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "open -a 'Codex'"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            },
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "n",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "open -b com.google.Chrome.app.mpnpojknpmmopombnjdcgaaiekajbnjb"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_app",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            }
                        ]
                    },
                    {
                        "description": "Hyper + C → Config sublayer",
                        "manipulators": [
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "c",
                                    "modifiers": {
                                        "mandatory": ["left_command", "left_control", "left_option", "left_shift"],
                                        "optional": ["caps_lock"]
                                    }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "set_variable": {
                                            "name": "hyper_sublayer_config",
                                            "value": 1
                                        }
                                    }
                                ],
                                "to_after_key_up": [
                                    {
                                        "set_variable": {
                                            "name": "hyper_sublayer_config",
                                            "value": 0
                                        }
                                    }
                                ]
                            }
                        ]
                    },
                    {
                        "description": "Config sublayer: K→karabiner.json, .→~/code/general",
                        "manipulators": [
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "k",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "/usr/local/bin/code ~/.config/karabiner/karabiner.json"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_config",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            },
                            {
                                "type": "basic",
                                "from": {
                                    "key_code": "period",
                                    "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
                                },
                                "to": [
                                    {
                                        "shell_command": "/usr/local/bin/code ~/code/general"
                                    }
                                ],
                                "conditions": [
                                    {
                                        "type": "variable_if",
                                        "name": "hyper_sublayer_config",
                                        "value": 1
                                    }
                                ]
                            }
                        ]
                    }
                ]
            },
            "name": "Default profile",
            "selected": true,
            "virtual_hid_keyboard": { "keyboard_type_v2": "ansi" }
        }
    ]
}