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Function keys productivity trick

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Re: Function keys productivity trick

#171

Post by codethief »

bvrmn wrote: post #24
hprotagonist wrote: post #6

~/.config/i3/config: # emacsclient set $em_daemon ~/.local/bin/em # make a quick launcher for specific things I do all the time bindsym $mod+o mode "spotlight" mode "spotlight" { ## specific files in a new emacs buffer # dired in home bindsym d exec $em_daemon ~/; mode "default" # ibuffer bindsym e exec $em_daemon --eval "(ibuffer)"; mode "default" # # guaranteed new scratch buffer bindsym s exec $em_daemon --eval '(…

This. It makes more sense to bind apps to homerow keys with some chain or modificator to "snipe" often-used applications instead of F-keys.

Not if you suffer from RSI and you want to use as few key strokes as possible. I really don't understand this trend towards minimalist keyboards. I want more keys, not fewer.

I mean, a pianist also doesn't put everything on their home row.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#172

Post by codethief »

powersnail wrote: post #170

Is there a keyboard-oriented window manager that doesn't require memorizing what keys do what? What I envision is having one master key combination to pull up a panel or overlay of some sort, which displays which key I press next to go to a certain place, or do a certain action. So there's just one thing to memorize. Sort of like how vimium works in browser, where you press 'f', and each clickable gets a little label…

IIRC Manjaro with i3 displays a list of common key chords on the desktop:

https://www.google.com/search?q=manjaro+i3&source=lnms&tbm=i...

You could certainly write a short Rofi script to display them in a popup window and browse/select/execute them (via i3-msg).

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#173

Post by agumonkey »

hprotagonist wrote: post #6

~/.config/i3/config: # emacsclient set $em_daemon ~/.local/bin/em # make a quick launcher for specific things I do all the time bindsym $mod+o mode "spotlight" mode "spotlight" { ## specific files in a new emacs buffer # dired in home bindsym d exec $em_daemon ~/; mode "default" # ibuffer bindsym e exec $em_daemon --eval "(ibuffer)"; mode "default" # # guaranteed new scratch buffer bindsym s exec $em_daemon --eval '(…

lovely, I never thought of using emacsclient as a global wm entrypoint

ps: I think I need to write an i3-whichkey that displays the current set of bindings because I often forget my own config :)

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#174

Post by francoispon »

powersnail wrote: post #170

Is there a keyboard-oriented window manager that doesn't require memorizing what keys do what? What I envision is having one master key combination to pull up a panel or overlay of some sort, which displays which key I press next to go to a certain place, or do a certain action. So there's just one thing to memorize. Sort of like how vimium works in browser, where you press 'f', and each clickable gets a little label…

i think stumpwm has some kind of "which-key" mode.... which is i think what you are looking for, and of course there is always exwm that can do *anything*

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#175

Post by teo_zero »

foobarbecue wrote: post #153
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…

Broad standards are so valuable. When a hotkey becomes common across apps and operating systems, we should work hard to preserve that rare and beautiful covenant that humanity has achieved together. F1 means help. F2 means edit. It edits filenames on most operating systems if you have a file selected, and cells in most spreadsheet programs. Alt+F4 means close. Alt+tab means switch program. Ctrl+C is copy, Ctrl+V is p…

> The agreements we've achieved on standards, even when they're not perfect, should be considered global treasures and treated as such.

Hell no! As soon as you see a better way to do the same thing, you should allow the user to embrace the new way, while still keeping compatibility with the old one during a grace period.

I know that there are companies that behave differently. Their products are often cruft-ridden.

Automobiles are not exempted: just look at the clumsy, unnecessarily large shift gear lever that equips electric cars where the P R N D L modes are simulated in software. But hey the big lever between the seats is a sacred standard!

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#176

Post by codemac »

agumonkey wrote: post #173
hprotagonist wrote: post #6

~/.config/i3/config: # emacsclient set $em_daemon ~/.local/bin/em # make a quick launcher for specific things I do all the time bindsym $mod+o mode "spotlight" mode "spotlight" { ## specific files in a new emacs buffer # dired in home bindsym d exec $em_daemon ~/; mode "default" # ibuffer bindsym e exec $em_daemon --eval "(ibuffer)"; mode "default" # # guaranteed new scratch buffer bindsym s exec $em_daemon --eval '(…

lovely, I never thought of using emacsclient as a global wm entrypoint ps: I think I need to write an i3-whichkey that displays the current set of bindings because I often forget my own config :)

wait until you find out about exwm

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#177

Post by ajolly »

david_allison wrote: post #118

I've recently bought an Elgato Stream Deck*[0] (programmable 15-key LED macro-pad) and would strongly recommend it. Simply: define an icon, define a shell script/app/site and press a button to execute. It natively supports 'profiles' for contextual actions if a given application is active, and 'folders', to extend the actions available given the 15 key limitation. I believe there's also a SDK + plugin infrastructure…

Love mine. There's an advanced launcher plugin for "run or raise" functionality.

I've got a little script to do the same for web pages, but I have an extended it yet to search for any open tab rather than just the ones that are currently active in the top window. I deal with this by having websites specific launchers.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#178

Post by sepsol »

sophacles wrote: post #70
chrismorgan wrote: post #51

While talking of function keys— My greatest annoyance with keyboards is that Fn keys (as found to one side of the left Ctrl/Control key; ubiquitous on laptops and common on other keyboards) are always implemented in firmware, and simply don’t do anything with most of the keys, but implement them in such a way that I can’t either. My laptop’s keyboard has one Fn key, and 82 others.¹ I can only use Fn with 20 of them—o…

If you haven't already gone down the custom keyboard rabbit hole, I suspect you might like it. There's a pretty large enthusiast community out in the world, and there's a lot of ways to go custom - build your own from scratch, use a kit, use a pre-built with flashable firmware, etc. The firmwares used (e.g. QMK) allow you to build the sort of thing you're talking about into your keyboard and more.

Seems like a cool thing to try! Where should someone curious like me start?

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#179

Post by aendruk »

codethief wrote: post #171
bvrmn wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. It makes more sense to bind apps to homerow keys with some chain or modificator to "snipe" often-used applications instead of F-keys.

Not if you suffer from RSI and you want to use as few key strokes as possible. I really don't understand this trend towards minimalist keyboards. I want more keys, not fewer. I mean, a pianist also doesn't put everything on their home row.

Funny, RSI of a different kind is what pushed me to a minimalist keyboard. I pay the cost of increased complexity to avoid the strain of reaching distant keys.

Re: Function keys productivity trick

#180

Post by interroboink »

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.

Or, do that stuff but without a tiling window manager (:

That's what I do. I use fluxbox, but even Windows 10 has pretty decent built-in multi-desktop functionality.

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