Keyboard preview

Our aim to have a keyboard which would be convenient for typing without distraction. In current instruction we will get keybindings look like in preview, but you could change any of them on your own using current example.

Setup instruction for Linux

Requirements

• Ubuntu 18.04
• GNOME Tweaks
• AutoKey

Tested on Pop!_OS (based on Ubuntu 18.04). But also should work on clean Ubuntu 18.04 the same way.

Change keys for a couple of default actions

Settings -> Devices -> Keyboard:

Lock screen -> Shift+Ctrl+L
Close window -> Shift+Ctrl+W

Make Caps Lock as Hyper

Then install GNOME Tweaks

$ sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

Open tweak tools and choose settings:

• Typing->Caps Lock key behavior->Make Caps Lock an additional Hyper

Change keyboard key bindings

Install AutoKey:

$ sudo apt-get install autokey-gtk

Open the program and disable default bindings for Hyper key inside AutoKey itself:

• Edit->Preferences->Special Hotkeys
• Make clean all of them

Add symlink for predefined keybindings from current repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/abogoyavlensky/keymap.git
$ ln -s /full/path/to/keymap/Phrases /full/path/to/.config/autokey/data/Phrases

Also nice to have AutoKey always running. For that, please put it to autostart:

• Open Gnome Tweak Tools and add the program in the tab called Startup Application.

Setup instruction for macOS

Requirements

• Tested on macOS 10.14.4
• Install Karabiner

Import configuration

Copy the next link to the browser to import configuration into Karabiner: karabiner://karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/import?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abogoyavlensky/keymap/master/Karabiner/keymap.json

That's it

Now your keyboard should look like on preview above.

All key bindings also work for any additional layout on your machine without delay after switching between them.

Additional info

To know keycode of usual keys run following command and press the key

$ xev -event keyboard

To know name of special keys please check wiki page of AutoKey

https://github.com/autokey/autokey/wiki/Special-Keys

Useful links

• http://tonsky.me/blog/cursor-keys/ - inspiration;
• https://github.com/madslundt/keybindings - different approach for Linux;
• http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/ - keyboard picture.

Caveats:

• some of helpful Ubuntu system key bindings don't work with new arrow keys. For example, you should still use ordinary arrows to move current window to bottom workspace and so on: <ctrl>+<alt>+<down>