Your Single, Most Valued, Keyboard Hack

[Questengine]

When I got an Ergodox and got into TMK a few months ago I pretty quickly make custom keys for Copy and Paste. One key each, unmodified.  How big a deal can that be really?  It's Awesome!!  I miss this functionality on any keyboard that isn't my main, and I wonder why it's not a feature on more keyboards.  Maybe it's because I'm a programmer but I use copy and paste dozens of times every day.  How often do folks use the dedicated "email", "web" or even "media" keys?.  If you mess with the media keys that much then they're probably distracting you from your work.  Copy and Paste ARE your work!

So what's the one shortcut, hack or customization to your favorite keyboard that you wouldn't want to live without?

[Phenix]

definitly my AHK scripts, which do freaking much for me (e.g. multi-layered media keys)

and capslock=backspace <3

[SpAmRaY]

Having a rubber mat underneath the keyboard.

[kawasaki161]

Having a rubber mat underneath the keyboard.

Or a cloth Mousepad.

[Questengine]

definitly my AHK scripts, which do freaking much for me (e.g. multi-layered media keys)

and capslock=backspace <3

I use a lot of AHK as well. I wonder why that's not more of a topic here?  I'm pretty happy with the natural backspace so I us AHK's ampersand  with the CapsLock to make it like another modifier and give me a whole other layer on my MS Natural 4K at work.  Don't even have a capslock on my TMK Ergo.. not on the primary layer anyway.

[9fiftyfive_]

I have a few.

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

Another "hack" I do with all of my keyboards is to put them on the same mousepad as my mouse. I use 60% boards, so they fit. I like to put them on top of a mousepad because it dampens the keyboard a little. With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

The last "most valued" hack (as of late) was to silence my HHKB. I cut up a plastic binder divider, and I can't even begin to describe how much nicer the board sounds.

[Phenix]

yea, dampening topre is nice.

Also: Make an F-SSK out of yout SSK, way better feeling, and louder

[invariance]

Having a rubber mat underneath the keyboard.

+1 and never going back!

[Questengine]

Having a rubber mat underneath the keyboard.

+1 and never going back!

Are we talking about preventing the keyboard from sliding around on the desk?

[kawasaki161]

Having a rubber mat underneath the keyboard.

+1 and never going back!

Are we talking about preventing the keyboard from sliding around on the desk?

Also a lot of noise dampening. Without the mat the vibrations from typing would be transmitted almost directly to the table creating a lot of noise.

[fohat.digs]

My most valued hack is ANSI-modding ancient IBM Model Fs.

But Yea, Baby!

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=59308.new#new

[Phenix]

Never Ever ANSI mod an IBM F.
ISO is superior
(basically: no, but Im used to, so for me yea)

[ace_of_dunces]

Pretty basic, but I swapped caps and left-ctrl. Got rid of the tendinitis in my left wrist and made ctrl-everything so much faster!

[algernon]

Tap-dance keys. Not the most useful thing I have on my keyboard right now, but definitely the one I'm most proud of.

A close second is one-shot modifiers on the thumbs. Old idea, but mighty useful.

[ctm]

I think mine is space fn. My daily driver is a 60% running TMK. With space fn, I can easily access function layer with either hand and the other hand's thumb pressing spacebar. On an ANSI board, there just doesn't exist another key that is as easy for either thumb as spacebar.

Another one I find really useful is having a dual role ctrl/esc at where caps lock usually is. I use Vim so esc is quite important to me.

[[Lewynlight]]

Left Ctrl -> Capslock is a Godsend. i even changed this layout using sharpkeys in my work laptop.

[drevyek]

Another one I find really useful is having a dual role ctrl/esc at where caps lock usually is. I use Vim so esc is quite important to me.

Might need to try this out. Momentary vs hold, right?

[ctm]

Another one I find really useful is having a dual role ctrl/esc at where caps lock usually is. I use Vim so esc is quite important to me.

Might need to try this out. Momentary vs hold, right?

I use ACTION_LAYER_TAP_KEY for space fn and ACTION_MODS_TAP_KEY for ctrl/esc.

[odd]

Can you post the code of the one key copy/paste? I been searching forever for something like that.

My favorite hack and this only applies to my 40% boards and macropads with more than 8 buttons is to bind / to a Fn layer and have it print the keymap of all Fn layers.

Example when I press Fn + / I get this (JD45)

Fn:
~Esc 1!  2@  3#  4$  5%  6^  7&  8*  9(  0)  -_  =+
 FN2  A   S   D   F  Ins HomePgUpPtSc L   ;:   Del 
 Shift BLenBLmdBLdm V  Del End PgDn ,<  .>  /? Shift
Ctrl  FN  GUI Space Space  Space Space \|  Alt  FN 

Fn2:
BOOTPgUp Up PgDn R   T   Y   U  MuteVol-Vol+PlayConf
 FN2  Lf  Dn  Rt  F   G   H   J  KbLk L   '"  Enter
 Shift  Z   X  Caps V   B  NmLk M[ ] M1 Shift
Ctrl  FN  GUI Space Space  Space Space \|  Alt  FN 

[daerid]

remapping Caps Lock to Control

don't need anything else.

[Phenix]

Can you post the code of the one key copy/paste? I been searching forever for something like that.

My favorite hack and this only applies to my 40% boards and macropads with more than 8 buttons is to bind / to a Fn layer and have it print the keymap of all Fn layers.

Example when I press Fn + / I get this (JD45)

Fn:
~Esc 1!  2@  3#  4$  5%  6^  7&  8*  9(  0)  -_  =+
 FN2  A   S   D   F  Ins HomePgUpPtSc L   ;:   Del 
 Shift BLenBLmdBLdm V  Del End PgDn ,<  .>  /? Shift
Ctrl  FN  GUI Space Space  Space Space \|  Alt  FN 

Fn2:
BOOTPgUp Up PgDn R   T   Y   U  MuteVol-Vol+PlayConf
 FN2  Lf  Dn  Rt  F   G   H   J  KbLk L   '"  Enter
 Shift  Z   X  Caps V   B  NmLk M[ ] M1 Shift
Ctrl  FN  GUI Space Space  Space Space \|  Alt  FN

How works that??

[pr0ximity]

Remapping Caps Lock to Ctrl on hold and ESC on press. Mind: blown.

Physically, lubing springs.

[DALExSNAIL]

Fliping my spacebar is a hack right? 

[kawasaki161]

Fliping my spacebar is a hack right? 

Only on SA and DSA 

[davkol]

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

[DALExSNAIL]

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

He didnt say when he was wresting his wrists though

[menuhin]

This is a useful thread.
I've been doing many of the mentioned 'hack', e.g. mapping Ctrl to Caps Lock, using AHK scripts, dampening key press noise by placing a rubber mat underneath the keyboard, flipping the spacebar.
Been trying hard to think of another one.

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

Why? Does it mean that typing with a raised wrist posture is a better practice? I might be, but I don't actually know. I suppose those find flipped spacebar comfortable is resting their wrists on the wrist rest.

Remapping Caps Lock to Ctrl on hold and ESC on press. Mind: blown.

Physically, lubing springs.

How can it be configured like that? By AHK? I'm using a registry scan code mod for the Caps Lock to Left_Ctrl.

[DALExSNAIL]

I suppose those find flipped spacebar comfortable is resting their wrists on the wrist rest.

Not necessarily.

I flip my spacebar and have decent posture. I just turn my thumb in a way that it is more comfortable to have the spacebar turned towards me.

[davkol]

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

Why? Does it mean that typing with a raised wrist posture is a better practice?

It is indeed.

resting and/or flexed wrist ~ increased pressure + anchored hands lead to additional deviation, when reaching for distant keys

[xtrafrood]

My best 'hack' is a Linux Mint 18 installation with a few edits to dconf, and a few edits to Cinnamon's keyboard shortcuts. Technically not a keyboard hack but it definitely broadens the range of what I can do with any keyboard without having to run batch files at startup and things of that nature.

[pr0ximity]

This is a useful thread.
I've been doing many of the mentioned 'hack', e.g. mapping Ctrl to Caps Lock, using AHK scripts, dampening key press noise by placing a rubber mat underneath the keyboard, flipping the spacebar.
Been trying hard to think of another one.

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

Why? Does it mean that typing with a raised wrist posture is a better practice? I might be, but I don't actually know. I suppose those find flipped spacebar comfortable is resting their wrists on the wrist rest.

Remapping Caps Lock to Ctrl on hold and ESC on press. Mind: blown.

Physically, lubing springs.

How can it be configured like that? By AHK? I'm using a registry scan code mod for the Caps Lock to Left_Ctrl.

I do it via Karabiner, so yeah. I'd like to hack up some firmware to do it but eh.

Re: posture -- typing with your wrists straight and not resting then while typing is proper ergonomic form. Bending them will put stress on something depending on how you bend them. I'm in the same boat that people with flipped spacebars generally have poor ergo because if you type properly your thumb hits the spacebar from above, not from the side.

[menuhin]

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

Why? Does it mean that typing with a raised wrist posture is a better practice?

[/spoiler]
It is indeed.

resting and/or flexed wrist ~ increased pressure + anchored hands lead to additional deviation, when reaching for distant keys

More

This is a useful thread.
I've been doing many of the mentioned 'hack', e.g. mapping Ctrl to Caps Lock, using AHK scripts, dampening key press noise by placing a rubber mat underneath the keyboard, flipping the spacebar.
Been trying hard to think of another one.

My "Most Valued" hack would be flipping the spacebar. This applies to any keyboard. I don't think I could ever use a keyboard with a regular spacebar again.

With the mousepad underneath, I don't find a need for a wrist rest because the rather soft mousepad is comfy for wresting my wrists on.

In other words: "my typing posture is crap"

Why? Does it mean that typing with a raised wrist posture is a better practice? I might be, but I don't actually know. I suppose those find flipped spacebar comfortable is resting their wrists on the wrist rest.

Remapping Caps Lock to Ctrl on hold and ESC on press. Mind: blown.

Physically, lubing springs.

How can it be configured like that? By AHK? I'm using a registry scan code mod for the Caps Lock to Left_Ctrl.

I do it via Karabiner, so yeah. I'd like to hack up some firmware to do it but eh.

Re: posture -- typing with your wrists straight and not resting then while typing is proper ergonomic form. Bending them will put stress on something depending on how you bend them. I'm in the same boat that people with flipped spacebars generally have poor ergo because if you type properly your thumb hits the spacebar from above, not from the side.

Does it mean that wrist-rest is redundant for users with ergo posture?

I agree that when I'm typing in full speed I tend to raise my wrists not resting on anything. However, I still need my 'ergobeads' wrist rest when I'm doing very slow and lazy typing or when I'm not typing at all resting my typing hands on the wrist rest thinking about what to type. The flipped spacebar is angled quite well for wrist-resting position but definitely not so optimal for raised wrist position.

[pr0ximity]

Does it mean that wrist-rest is redundant for users with ergo posture?

Nope, it's for resting your wrists on in between typing.

[Questengine]

Can you post the code of the one key copy/paste? I been searching forever for something like that.

The way I did it is to assign my extra keys to F13-F24 all of which are assignable in TMK and autohotkey can read.  Then I use an AHK script to interpret one of those as copy and another as paste.  For example, I think the AHK would be:

F13::^c 
or maybe
F13::Send ^c

I'm not near that PC at the moment.  So I'm not 100% certain about the code.

You COULD do the copy directly in TMK, but by using the extra F keys and AHK I can reassign the function keys for each app (with more autohotkey!).

[funderburker]

This is a no-no for some people but the hack I'm proud is using dental bands for HHKB silencing. It does make a difference and bit shorter key travel is not a problem for me.

[Neo.X]

Put Hypersphere ring to Novatouch and lube it. This makes this keyboard form my least like all the way to my top 3.