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Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

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Re: Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

#31
post #26
post #9

I've built an app that has the same goals (not operate a mouse) but approach it completely different. Rather than try to simulate the moving the mouse itself, Shortcat [ https://shortcat.app/ ] indexes the user interface (buttons, text fields, links, menus, etc) and enables fast fuzzy search of the interface. Type a word, abbreviations, or hints and hit Enter to click or action the element. Works almost everywhere on…

This app is quality. I can tell you have been working on it for years. Why not charge for it?

Haha, thanks :)

I did charge for it a couple of years ago, however I rebuilt the whole thing from scratch after a long hiatus and hadn't had bothered to reimplement licensing because the existing options all kinda suck, and figured I'd focus the time on features and usability first. I think with the modal mode in the next release will bring it much closer to a 1.0 release.

Re: Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

#34
post #16
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird.

Some people need tools like this, as an assistive technology - think RSI, Parkinsons and other issues that affect dexterity or elbow movement. Not so weird.

Thank you for explaining - as a consequence of illness and disability, I can understand the need.

But why someone would intentionally make things more difficult for themselves as a preference, I don't get. It would be like walking around in crutches when you have two perfectly healthy legs.

Re: Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

#35
post #9

I've built an app that has the same goals (not operate a mouse) but approach it completely different. Rather than try to simulate the moving the mouse itself, Shortcat [ https://shortcat.app/ ] indexes the user interface (buttons, text fields, links, menus, etc) and enables fast fuzzy search of the interface. Type a word, abbreviations, or hints and hit Enter to click or action the element. Works almost everywhere on…

Excellent! I'd love to have that on Linux.

Re: Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

#36
I use a thinkpad-style keyboard and my mouse is on the homerow. It feels like that is much more efficient than this, as you get the precision of the mouse without having to move your hand.

I don't understand why more people don't adopt it. Is it because it's so different from a normal mouse ?

Re: Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

#38
The whole manual says alt+meta+x.

Alt is Meta on modern keyboards. You can use ESC to emulate Meta in some applications. But this doesn't work here.

It should say A-W-x (alt+super+x) Super is Windows key these days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-cadet_keyboard#/media/Fi...

Re: Warpd: A modal keyboard-driven virtual pointer

#40

Looking at the limitations, I hate how fragmented Linux is becoming for apps like this. Completely separate implementations for: - X - Wayland + Gnome Shell - Wayland + wlroots-based compositor - Wayland + sway or any other non-wlroots based compositor Is Wayland really that much better that this is worth it? Why can't Wayland be aware of the compositor like X?

This is growth pains. Once the the need is understood well enough, a common extension will be written, and Mutter, KWin and sway/wlroots will implement it. This is better for security than X11 free-for-all.

I agree that Wayland by design can be more secure - but judging from my personal threat model, if malicious code gets to attack X or Wayland, it's already all over.
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