Remapping CAPS LOCK to CTRL removes pinky strain for keyboard-heavy workflows

Repetitive pinky strain from reaching to the CTRL key (common in Emacs, gaming, and live-coding with keyboard shortcuts) can be relieved by remapping CAPS LOCK to act as CTRL. CAPS LOCK sits in the natural resting position of the left pinky, so no lateral extension is needed. On macOS this is done via System Preferences > Keyboard > Modifier Keys. The author reports the fix resolved left-pinky numbness and took only about a day to get used to. It is the lowest-effort RSI-prevention measure for keyboard-intensive practitioners, including live coders.

Examples

Strudel/TidalCycles live coders frequently use Ctrl+Enter to evaluate and Ctrl+. to stop. Remapping CAPS LOCK to CTRL makes these shortcuts reachable with natural pinky position.

Assessment

Identify three keyboard shortcuts used in live coding that involve CTRL. Map each to how the remapped CAPS LOCK position changes the hand movement required.