Left handed desktop?

Mr Green · 2017-07-03 12:06:08

Currently I use i3 window manager and I want to make it easier to use. Use mod4 + (num) to reach a given workspace but I find it a bit of a stretch ( workspace 10 for example). Trying a t the moment Mod4+\ (lprev workspace) Mod4+Z (next workspace)... I do know that scroll wheel on mouse works but am trying to avoid using it, for a more vim like desktop.

Do any south paw arch users have any tips or tricks for desktop?

Trilby · 2017-07-03 12:10:35

What does this have to do with being left-handed? You can chose whatever key bindings you find convenient - but any pair of keys will be no closer together nor farther apart for right handers and left handers

skeevy420 · 2017-07-03 14:28:32

Trilby wrote:

What does this have to do with being left-handed? You can chose whatever key bindings you find convenient - but any pair of keys will be no closer together nor farther apart for right handers and left handers

I'm ambidextrous so I might be able to chime in on this better than others. Depending on the layout of the keys, some pairs of keys are farther apart for right handers and left handers.

When using my mouse left-handed, my right hand can literally do almost every key-combo because my thumb is in the left hand corner and has full access to shift, ctrl, alt, win; switching hands, my left thumb has access to alt, ctrl, shift, and menu. In other words, RIGHT handed people are missing a shortcut key that LEFT handed people have full access to. I can assure you that win+0 is 10x easier (for my smaller hands) using my right hand (thumb to pinky, hand stays at a calm, relaxed position) than it is using my right hand (pinky to index, fingers stretched as far as possible). This is all based on my Logitech keyboard's layout with a single win key on the left side and a single menu key on the right side.

If anything, being right handed, or better said: using the mouse with the right hand, puts one at a disadvantage for one handing a keyboard for short cuts. Two handing the keyboard....there really is no difference.

Trilby · 2017-07-03 14:36:45

Ah, that makes sense - thanks. I hadn't considered that as I've not used a clunky pointing device in almost a decade (and I'm not being facetious, it really hadn't occurred to me). Perhaps the solution is to just ditch the mouse! (now being a little facetious ... a little).

skeevy420 · 2017-07-03 15:19:44

I use a Logitech G600 so I have access to 24 or so* different shortcuts per mode, and it has 3 modes. The only downside is I have to boot into Windows to configure it because the software doesn't work with Wine, but once it's configured, it's awesome. Well, there is a second downside -- that mouse forces me into right-hand exclusive mode (mouse right hand, keyboard left hand) because I can only activate 6 of my 12 side buttons with my left hand pinky versus all 12 with my right hand thumb (and the shape cramps my left hand up but is very, very comfortable for my right hand).

*12 side keys, left + right clicks, verticle + horizontal scrolling are all configurable and there's a third button, G-Shift, that allows all of those keys to do a second function (and the dpi and modeshift buttons). Outside of the Logitech software requiring left and right click be available somewhere, there aren't any limitations on what I can configure my buttons to do.

After using a mouse with so many damn buttons, I don't think I can ever go back to a regular mouse. It's just too convenient having copy, cut, paste, undo, etc all available at the push of a button when I'm in a text editor and being able to change all the keys at the push of a button to change my shortcuts to control my ships in KSP or into controls for SMPlayer.

Mr Green · 2017-07-03 15:36:20

My current binds are Super+(number), which I find a stretch... to keep more in home row I added Super + \ and z to cycle workspaces. Using Super + arrow keys means using both hands. Tempted to use Function keys but they are sometimes bound to certain gui applications.

It is very rare that I use more than three workspaces and multiple windows (terminals mostly) not got that much screen estate on my laptop.

skeevy420 · 2017-07-03 16:10:13

I meant to actually add this earlier, but have you considered swapping the menu key's functionality with the mod key's with something like setxkbmap? Doing that you'll have the mod key on both sides of the keyboard. If the menu key is something you use, you could make mod+crtl or mod+alt as a shortcut to the menu key because those are easy to do with one thumb (that's the best I can think of to make shortcuts easier while not any losing functionality).

EDIT: For terminals, I personally use xfce4-terminal in drop-down mode. F12 drops down a terminal window from the top of the screen whenever I need it, ctrl+shift+T gives me a new tab. With XFCE, the terminal stays there whenever I switch workspaces until I press F12 to dismiss it. Not sure if that'll help you or not, but drop down terminals have made my workflow much easier and it saves valuable taskbar space.

Last edited by skeevy420 (2017-07-03 16:18:27)

Arch Linux

#1 2017-07-03 12:06:08

Left handed desktop?

#2 2017-07-03 12:10:35

Re: Left handed desktop?

#3 2017-07-03 14:28:32

Re: Left handed desktop?

#4 2017-07-03 14:36:45

Re: Left handed desktop?

#5 2017-07-03 15:19:44

Re: Left handed desktop?

#6 2017-07-03 15:36:20

Re: Left handed desktop?

#7 2017-07-03 16:10:13

Re: Left handed desktop?

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