Avoiding ctrl/super/alt/shift in wmii (or other?)

Dieter@be · 2009-03-27 13:00:14

Hi,
I hate it when I need to use the ctrl/super/alt/shift or similar keys. I like to keep my fingers on the home row, the row above and below those are fine too, but when I need to go below that (eg common key combo's like ctrl+<something>) I find I need to cramp my fingers/hands into very awkward positions. Is there anyone who finds typing ctrl+<something> or similar comfortable?

I would like to avoid using any of these keys at all costs. In vim they are not common which is great, but in wmii they are very common because ctrl+h/j/k/l and shift+ctrl+h/j/k/l are very common shortcuts there. Sure you can change ctrl to super/alt but I find all options very awkward, even painful.

I tried setting MODKEY to a (because it's on my homerow) and to Space (very accessible with thumb) in my wmiirc.
This seems to work for some keys like mod+a, mod+p, mod+h, but other keys will break (eg you can't even type in a terminal like this).

Any help/ideas appreciated.

hbekel · 2009-03-27 13:30:19

Some people use CapsLock as Ctrl. You'll still have to reach out for it, but it's at least a little closer. This doesn't help much for the other modifiers, though.

For window management, you might consider using keychaining and use e.g. Space as the global keychain prefix key, and have a "Space-Space" pass through the space key to the focused application. (This is the way screen handles it,Ctrl-a is the prefix key, Ctrl-a-a passes through C-a). Back in the days of wmi keychains were implemented in this way, i don't know about wmii, though. You'll very soon get used to typing a double space (or double "a") if you really mean a "space" or "a", but whenever you sit down at a different machine you'll find yourself typing double spaces or "aa". This isn't ideal, I for one use Ctrl-t as my prefix key, but then i don't mind using ctrl...

Maybe you could build yourself some kind of footswitch board that sends modifier keys, so you can keep typing and press Ctrl/alt/super etc with your feet. (Whether that might lead to ergonomic problems is a different question). That's the only way I see to completely avoid pressing modifiers with your fingers, because you'll always have apps that insist on using these modifiers.

Theomachos · 2009-03-27 13:33:03

Why not simply remap Mod4 to Caps_Lock ?

Procyon · 2009-03-27 17:29:51

I agree OP, what I do is bind everything to the numpad.

Last edited by Procyon (2009-03-27 17:30:04)

Dieter@be · 2009-03-29 11:25:30

hbekel, yeah i thought of the footboard. Seems a little extreme though And I would need one for home and work

Thanks for the ideas. A lot of people seem to be swapping ctrl and capslock. I tried this too and this already improves *some* things but not all. (many apps use (and/or combine with ctrl) other modkeys. some apps still make hard combinations even with the better position of ctrl now.
Basically I guess I'll reconfigure my apps' modkeys and key combo's to become more tolerable now.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-03-27 13:00:14

Avoiding ctrl/super/alt/shift in wmii (or other?)

#2 2009-03-27 13:30:19

Re: Avoiding ctrl/super/alt/shift in wmii (or other?)

#3 2009-03-27 13:33:03

Re: Avoiding ctrl/super/alt/shift in wmii (or other?)

#4 2009-03-27 17:29:51

Re: Avoiding ctrl/super/alt/shift in wmii (or other?)

#5 2009-03-29 11:25:30

Re: Avoiding ctrl/super/alt/shift in wmii (or other?)

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