Have you considered just using a (sticky) compose key and setting macros for some weird characters? That way you wouldn't have to run scripts to change modes.
Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
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Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#32I wonder if, instead of having two different layouts and changing between them, an alternative would be to put all the navigation keys at fifth level and above, and then hijack the Kanji modifier to switch to them, or maybe pretend you're a Far East keyboard and use Eisu_toggle.
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#33I've done a similar thing at the hardware level using a QMK layer. The main benefit for me is being able to use VIM movement keys in every text input. As I'm using a dual boot setup, it's also pretty handy to have the mapping directly embedded in the keyboard firmware.
What I did here was starting to use a premade programmable 60% keyboard (Vortexgear Pok3r) and remapping "Caps-Lock" as modifier to make hjkl into the actual arrow keys. No software config needed.
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#34I've done a similar thing at the hardware level using a QMK layer. The main benefit for me is being able to use VIM movement keys in every text input. As I'm using a dual boot setup, it's also pretty handy to have the mapping directly embedded in the keyboard firmware.
Was thinking that the whole time I was reading this! I actually have my layout optimized for i3/Vim-controls and it's the default for GergoPlex. I used to use xmodmap hacks but I got sick of maintaining changes across/OS's, having it on the keyboard makes it so much easier. Only downside is carrying around a QMK keyboard! Layout: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rRS_TOYuIQQ/XhRERox3moI/AAAAAAABE... GergoPlex: https://www.g…
Just curious, how much time would you say it took you to 1) build and make it, 2) get used to the layout?
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks for mentioning QMK [0], it's not something I've heard of before, and it seems like a huge step up from standard keyboard firmware. As far as I can tell only a small number of manufacturers officially support it, but at least one person seems to have made some progress getting a standard cooler master keyboard to run it [1]. [0] https://qmk.fm/ [1] https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/bp...
Drop (née Massdrop) makes a number of fairly 'normal' QMK keyboards. From smallest to largest, the Alt, Ctrl, and Shift. Then there's Ergodox EZ, a company which makes the eponymous ortholinear split key (my daily driver), as well as a 40% keyboard called the Planck, and a new next-gen ergo keyboard called the Moonlander. These are designed from the get go to use layers, where each layer assigns its own meaning to ke…
For people based in Europe who might be interested in an Ergodox or similar, I can recommend a visit to falba.tech.
I've ordered two Redox from them by now (for work & home) and am very satisfied with the product so far.
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Was thinking that the whole time I was reading this! I actually have my layout optimized for i3/Vim-controls and it's the default for GergoPlex. I used to use xmodmap hacks but I got sick of maintaining changes across/OS's, having it on the keyboard makes it so much easier. Only downside is carrying around a QMK keyboard! Layout: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rRS_TOYuIQQ/XhRERox3moI/AAAAAAABE... GergoPlex: https://www.g…
Just curious, how much time would you say it took you to 1) build and make it, 2) get used to the layout?
>build and make it
Depends on how you define 'build' here, I'm assuming you mean come to what would become the final design for GergoPlex. That took about a year and a half, my first two designs (Gergo and Georgi respectively) sought to improve on my issues with the ErgoDox (mostly size, PCB-forehead, height, thumb-cluster). After a year of using Gergo and diving into QMK and a failed attempt at picking up stenography, I came up with the idea for a more chord-orientated layout. It didn't take long to get working hardware (as it was a reduction of an existing design), but the layout took about two weeks before everything had settled into it's final place. I did a bit of a write-up over on the blog of how I ended up dailying GergoPlex from a full size 104 [1] and the slow descent into preprocessor madness [2] to make the Combo decorators work. The weird part was tuning QMK so combos like 'we' wouldn't misfire while typing and analyzing my Vim usage to find comfortable places for frequently used chords. (Such as JK for :, WE or UI for Esc, NM for Enter, XC for -, M>get used to the layout
At every transitional step I'd say maybe a week? The harder part was finding a keymap that worked for me. But I started with a Sun-Style layout on the ErgoDox and slowly adpated it as I moved to smaller boards. Control is on 'A' (and ';') on GergoPlex for that reason, and the symbols layers are fairly similar. Honestly, just using it in a active chat server for a few hours was enough to get me 90% of the way there.
Every users needs are going to be different, and their layout should match that (it's _why_ you get a programmable keyboard after all!). How you get there is a fiddly endeavour involving lots of flashing and tweaking, but you end up with something ergonomic and deeply personal!
[1] https://blog.gboards.ca/2020/01/weird-keyboards-programmable...
[2] https://blog.gboards.ca/2020/02/adventures-in-obscure-c-feat...
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#37Get a keyboard with layer support, https://docs.qmk.fm/. No need for different modes ...
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just curious, how much time would you say it took you to 1) build and make it, 2) get used to the layout?
>build and make it Depends on how you define 'build' here, I'm assuming you mean come to what would become the final design for GergoPlex. That took about a year and a half, my first two designs (Gergo and Georgi respectively) sought to improve on my issues with the ErgoDox (mostly size, PCB-forehead, height, thumb-cluster). After a year of using Gergo and diving into QMK and a failed attempt at picking up stenograph…
Oh wow, I thought you were replicating it off of the site, not the actual designer of it! That's awesome, I've seen it before and been curious to try to make it myself. Helix keyboard is pretty popular here (Japan) but never tried it more than brushing them (pre-COVID lol) in the mech specialty shop in Akihabara.
I'll definitely make the plunge at some point, just gauging expectations on how roughly much I should expect to invest time-wise before :)
Thank you for your work, I think it's hard to appreciate the contribution things like the ergodex is making for moving towards chorded and other more suitable text input interface for computers. Especially as we transition to VR.
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#39I just had a crazy idea based on this- (it's not going to be useful as is, mostly novel and potentially good) You know how a desktop screen is fixed width and windows cannot be outside of the screen (at least in tiling), I want a single workspace for all windows, where they arrange non-ovrlappingly and screen would just be a view to a fixed point so I can scroll (quickly using hjkl) in 4 directions to look at other w…
I bet you could make a DWM patch that does that... Do report back on how you get it done - thanks! :)
Re: Show HN: Vim-Like Layer for Xorg and Wayland
#40I am also using a custom keyboard layout (basically the movement layer from the NEO layout + left alt → left ctrl, right alt → left alt, caps lock → esc). Initially it was implemented as xmodmap, then as xkb layout and finally as C program using Interception Tools [0]. I had problems with both xmodmap and xkb where it wouldn't work in certain applications; Interception tools works everywhere (even in VMs and outside…
I'm looking for a way to have a key press becoming a repeated key press (for example 'a' producing 'a' every 150 ms). Is that possible with this software? I'm able to do it with AutoHotKey, but I'm unable to get it to work in Wine.