Not too difficult Linux Customization

[Didgers]

It won't be too much longer before I have to give my professor's AG-5
back, so I've been trying to get as much done while I can. While
setting things up so anyone who wants to can take over the Linux Dvorak
development, I produced something that might be of use to anyone who
wants to customize their AG-5 layouts in Linux.

The keys are now grouped up, making it easy to identify what and where
you want to change. Here's a portion to illustrate. Nothing
spectacular, but still useful.

// front left
key <AC07> { [ j, J ] };//j
key <AB04> { [ v, V ] };//v
key <AB03> { [ Tab, ISO_Left_Tab ] };//c
key <AD06> { [ k, K ] };//y
key <AC08> { [ space ] };//k
key <AC09> { [ b, B ] };//l

for the whole thing, http://mrdidgers.freewebpages.org/xkbnew.htm

[seabrook]

I don't have any desire to switch to dvorak (alas, my brain is firmly
qwertified) but I can definitely use that, thanks. :)

Maybe you can help me figure something out...

I spend most of my time in linux in a gnome-terminal with multiple
tabs. As a result, I make great use of CTRL+PgUp/PgDn to switch
between said tabs. Unfortunately, it seems there's really no easy way
to perform that sequence with the default mapping (ctrl + left red
shift + ent). Can you think of a simple remapping to make it easier?
I considered swapping X/Z with PgUp/PgDn, but then there'd be no easy
way to make capital Xs and Zs. :\

[Mike Willner]

You probably already know this, but just in case..., another way to do what
you want without any remapping is to press NumLock, and then you only have
to press Ctrl+Ent (=Ctrl+PgUp) and Ctrl+Tab (=Ctrl+PgDn). This may not be a
viable solution because of the extra step of pressing NumLock, but it does
reduce the contortion required to press Ctrl+Ent(Tab)+Red Shift.

[mat.s...@arcor.de]

> between said tabs. Unfortunately, it seems there's really no easy way
> to perform that sequence with the default mapping (ctrl + left red
> shift + ent). Can you think of a simple remapping to make it easier?

Have you tried activating "sticky keys"?

Then you don't have to press Ctrl and PgUp/Dn simultaniously. (Can't check if it works until I get my AG, so give ti a try...)

Matthias

PS: The option should be somewhere in the accessebility options of Gnome.

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[Didgers]

if you put this in the qwerty section of your
/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/us,

key <PGUP> { [ x ] };//Prior
key <PGDN> { [ z ] };//Next

and replace the AB01 and AB02 lines in qwerty with this,

key <AB02> { [ Prior, X ] };//x
key <AB01> { [ Next, Z ] };//z

you'll swap just lowercase x and z with pageup and pagedown, still have
capitals in same spot.

Note: This method affects your normal keyboard as well. If you use
Ctrl-PageUp/Down that much, and if you use x/z that little, you might
just leave it that way for both AG-5 and the keyboard. Otherwise,
you'll want to use one layout for the keyboard, and another for the
AG-5.

If I get some time today, I'll see if I can put up an uncustomized
qwerty layout. But I got a busy day. That alien invasion of mutant
zombies won't BFG themselves.

[Matt Westfall]

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>
> Have you tried activating "sticky keys"?
>

I'm pretty sure that is a windows feature. I don't recall ever seeing
"Sticky Keys" on *NIX.
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[Matthias Schult]

Hi Matt

> > Have you tried activating "sticky keys"?
>
> I'm pretty sure that is a windows feature. I don't recall ever seeing
> "Sticky Keys" on *NIX.

I've actually never seen it in Windows...

In Gnome:
Applications → Desktop Preferences → Accessibility → Keyboard

In KDE:
K Button → Control Center → Regional & Accessibility → Accessibility

By hand:
Run the X server with the +accessx option. If you use startx, either run startx -- +accessx or add +accessx to the serverargs line in the startx script. If you use xdm, add +accessx to the appropriate server line in /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers. (not tested)

/Matthias

[seabrook]

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I'll experiment a bit tonight.

I just realized that the two tabbed apps that I use the most,
gnome-terminal and firefox, both allow tab switching via "ALT +
<Number>" which should be easy enough to perform and may even be more
efficient than the alternative, anyway.

Thanks again.

[Toby Dickenson]

This is a pattern that I have seen a couple of times now - Many applications
have multiple different keyboard shortcuts for every one function, and the
easiest shortcut is sometimes different between keyboard and AG5.

For example I am a heavy user of Ctrl+Fn to switch virtual desktops in kde.
Control+Tab is functionally equivalent, but I never used that combination
until picking up the AG5.

Thats an interesting datapoint for anyone involved in gui design....

--
Toby Dickenson

[joe]

Thanks Mr Didgers, this should help get me started.

I've learned to use the alphagrip with Carl's remap on Windows. I'm
moving to linux and I want to reproduce it there. It looks like XKB
should be able to do most of it, but not the chorded characters
(jkvxyz).

I've googled and googled and the best I can come up with is an outdated
kernel patch to do chording
(http://the.earth.li/~martin/wearables/linux-chording.shtml). This
seems pretty extreme. Does anybody know of any software in linux that
can produce the same thing?

Joe.