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Function keys productivity trick

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Re: Function keys productivity trick

#131

Post by shhsshs »

teo_zero wrote: post #125

I couldn't disagree more. My mental sanity depends on some fixed beliefs. One of those is that every key sequence not involving the Win key is sent to and handled by the application in focus. Including F-keys, which many applications expect, in any case. Ex: F2=edit cell, F9=recalculate in Excel. Global actions handled by the SO or DE must involve Win. Ex: Win+L lock screen. And yes, Redmond-imposed Alt-Tab is an abo…

What about special key sequences like Ctrl+Alt+Delete on Windows, or Ctrl+Alt+F-key on most Linux distros?

Or even more crazy special commands like Alt+PrintScreen+REISUB?

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#132

Post by mrob »

wmeredith wrote: post #127
nahuel0x wrote: post #40

If macOS didn't added a very annoying fade-out/fade-in delay when switching Spaces, you could simply use them with maximized apps and hotkeys for switching them. Another design mistake from Apple.

I must be missing something because my Mac OS does not do that. There is a slide-in/over animation, but it's nearly instant.

"Nearly instant" is a massive loss of usability compared to "instant". The quicker the transition the less disruption there is to your short term memory. If it's instant then switching between virtual desktops is almost as good as having multiple monitors. If I have to wait for even a brief animation (and MacOS's animation is painfully slow) I'm likely to forget details, which means I'll have to switch again, and risk forgetting even more.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#133

Post by nine_k »

teo_zero wrote: post #125

I couldn't disagree more. My mental sanity depends on some fixed beliefs. One of those is that every key sequence not involving the Win key is sent to and handled by the application in focus. Including F-keys, which many applications expect, in any case. Ex: F2=edit cell, F9=recalculate in Excel. Global actions handled by the SO or DE must involve Win. Ex: Win+L lock screen. And yes, Redmond-imposed Alt-Tab is an abo…

The idea is not centered around F-keys. The idea is to have fast shortcuts to every app you need regularly. You can use any other keys.

The problem, of course, is that all keys are already taken. Even F-keys are normally taken by volume control, playback control, brightness control, etc, and you have to press Fn-F1 to access F1. There are no spare keys, unless you buy a dedicated keypad.

So I, as likely everyone else, have a bunch of Win+something shortcuts, often involving 2 or 3 more keys. (Using KMonad to have modifiers on the home row helps.)

But the idea still stands. I already have shortcuts for the screen shot app, for the character map app, etc; why not add shortcuts for bringing Emacs or Firefox or a terminal to the front? I'll explore that.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#135

Post by nine_k »

shhsshs wrote: post #131
teo_zero wrote: post #125

I couldn't disagree more. My mental sanity depends on some fixed beliefs. One of those is that every key sequence not involving the Win key is sent to and handled by the application in focus. Including F-keys, which many applications expect, in any case. Ex: F2=edit cell, F9=recalculate in Excel. Global actions handled by the SO or DE must involve Win. Ex: Win+L lock screen. And yes, Redmond-imposed Alt-Tab is an abo…

What about special key sequences like Ctrl+Alt+Delete on Windows, or Ctrl+Alt+F-key on most Linux distros? Or even more crazy special commands like Alt+PrintScreen+REISUB?

Alt+Ctrl+Delete was special-cased as an unforgeable sequence to access the security screen in Win NT, with special provisions down to BIOS level IIRC. (Else credentials stealing becomes too easy.)

REISUB is for truly exceptional circumstances; I used it 2-3 times in 20 years of using Linux on desktop.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#136

Post by nine_k »

the_gipsy wrote: post #35

No, you're using the computer wrong. See, you should use a tiling window manager with several workspaces and shortcuts without having to look at your keyboard, e.g. Meta+4 to go to workspace 4 where you have your chat apps.

My mind works differently. I need to put together a set of apps I'm using for a task, say, editor + browser + terminal for software development, or DAW + bunch of instruments + browser + player to work with music, or, say, GIMP + Krita + Inkscape for graphics.

Tiling helps, but I just have a bunch of shortcuts that tile a particular window just so under xfwm4.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#137

Post by nine_k »

alikrhlwirjnklj wrote: post #36

> You're using function keys wrong You are using computers wrong. Apple is the only one that lacks this. Windows and most linux WM have this for at least 20 years! windows you just use WIN+[1,2,3,4...] to alternate between your quick launch apps. Linux obviously you have a myriad of options. Including the top comment here now about using virtual desktops which is even better than application (but you can mix them too…

I'm always puzzled by the stubbornness with which Apple refuses to make window management on macOS ergonomic. They think about so many subtler points, they can't fail to notice the elephant in their room. It bothers me every time I have to use macOS.

I wonder who should leave the macOS team to have this finally addressed, like Jony Ive had to leave to make the Macbook hardware reasonable again.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#138

Post by xalava »

Gnome assigns SUPER+NUM to the applications in the sidebar by default. You can change the applications or their order visually and the keyboard shortcut is highly accessible.

It's one of the well thought features that makes me stick with it.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#140

Post by mmphosis »

mynameishere wrote: post #102

Is it okay to use them for what they are actually useful for? F3 = repeat search, F5 = refresh, etc, etc, all context dependent, of course, but that is a good thing. Mac people I do not understand.

I understand. Unfortunately, we have wildly different preferences and keyboards.

If I had Function keys: F1 = help, F2 = rename, F3 = repeat search, Alt+F4 = close, F5 = refresh, all context dependent, of course

On a Mac: Help = help, Return = rename, Command+G = find again, Command+W = close, Command+R = Refresh, usually consistent.

Maybe, one day, there will be truly customizable keyboards.

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