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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: lydell on Thu, 26 December 2013, 16:34:54

Title: TECK single-handed typing mode
Post by: lydell on Thu, 26 December 2013, 16:34:54

I've created a single-handed mode for the TECK (https://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/layout-designer--configurator--reprogrammable--truly-ergonomic-mechanical-keyboard/#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).

It works by using the Num Lock and Fn layers. The original Num Lock layer is lost, while the original Fn layer is preserved (almost).

Press Num Lock to activate single-handed mode. That only changes the following:

• The space bars are turned into Fn keys.
• The Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys are turned into arrow keys.

Activating the Fn layer (holding one of the space bars) mirrors the keyboard, with just a few exceptions:

• The upper cluster (the F keys etc.) is not affected. To me, it does not make sense to mirror them. Besides, holding the space bar down while pressing an F key is an awful stretch. Lastly, it retains the standard Fn layer there.
• The arrow keys are turned into Home, End, Page Up and Page Down.
• Tab is turned into Space, to allow space to be typed. Not ideal, but the best I could think of.
• Delete is turned into Pause. By default, Pause is on the 4 key in the Fn layer, but now it cannot anymore. (There are also keys on the 5 and 6 keys in the Fn layer by default, but I simply got rid of them.)

I use this when I'm casually browsing and I'm too lazy to use both hands, or when I'm drinking or eating something with one hand ;).

I chose to keep the standard layout. I use xkb to remap instead. This way, the firmware is responsible for the single-handed mirroring, and the software responsible for the keyboard layout (without even knowing there is a single-handed mode).