Author Topic: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux  (Read 5528 times)

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Offline jakkdl

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Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 06:58:16 »
After lurking for a few days it seemed like posting in here was custom, so I guess I'll go ahead and do that.

21-year old CompSci student from sweden. Been using dvorak for 3+ years, avg 84WPM on typeracer over 64 races. Cleared typing of the dead on hardest difficulty (with a few continues). Bought my first mechanical keyboard, a Das Keyboard with blank keycaps and blue switches, just over a year ago. Grown up on the internet and have 3k posts and the title of Global Moderator on another forum. Using Arch Linux with ratpoison and use terminals for close to everything but web-browsing. Vim > Emacs.

Got here when I got interested in maybe buying another keyboard. Typematrix picqued my interest with being compact and matrix-style layout, but my options have now grown to Truly Ergonomic, Typematrix, kinesis advantage, ergodox and nexus. I have close to zero experience with soldering and the like, so I'm a bit skeptical with trying to get an ergodox running, the nexus isn't released yet (and looks like it'll be a few months off), the typematrix got some negative reviews, the Teck is quite expensive, and the kinesis doesn't run blues (haven't tested any others, but I like them) and is quite expensive. So I'll continue weighing my options and lurk around on this site until I'm decided, as I'm certainly not in a hurry.

One day I might get around to posting my first keyboard mod, cutting down a membrane keyboard to the right of Enter (what's the more extreme version of tenkeyless called, where you also remove ins/del/home/arrow keys?) and duct-taping the plastic sheets to the back.

If you want to give opinions on my kb choice you're free to do it here, otherwise I'll probably start up a thread in a proper forum if I have more specific questions.


Looks like a pretty cool forum, and I'll make sure to enjoy my stay!

Greetings,
Jakkdl

Das Keyboard S Ultimate, Cherry MX Blue

Offline ideus

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 09:29:06 »
What was the other forum? and welcome to GH.

Offline jakkdl

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 09:35:17 »
http://www.openlierox.net/forum/index.php - where I'm known as hatten and got the sixth highest post count. Both the forum and the game are pretty dead nowadays, and I haven't been active there for a year+.

And thank you :)

Das Keyboard S Ultimate, Cherry MX Blue

Offline ideus

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 16 March 2014, 09:41:31 »
No need to give your curriculum in each post  ;) .


And welcome again.

Offline EvillePanda

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 19 March 2014, 14:43:15 »
I just got a Truly Ergonomic and it's very nice, worth the cash.  I updated the firmware with Dvorak right out of the box and it works beautifully.  I also use a Typematrix for work.  It's not mechanical and there is a learning curve, but with practice and time, it's pretty good.  I would prefer mechanical keys, but there are a lot of mechanical columnar layouts available now.  The Nexus for one.  Also, you might look at the Keyboard I.O. designed by one of the board members, which will also be a kickstarter.
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Offline blackbox

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 13:31:26 »
Welcome to GH! Another linux user here(mint).
Keyboards: Dell AT102W (matias standard clicky), Maltron two-hand 3D fully ergonomic keyboard (Vintage MX Black). CM QF XT (MX Grey) IBM model M

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Offline eth0s

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 13:37:28 »
Welcome to GH!  I never heard of that game, but linux is good for people.
I ♥ Click Clack.  I ♥♥♥ Bro Caps.

Offline Smasher816

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 15:37:59 »
Welcome to GH. Glad to see another Arch Linux user. Personally I am running i3wm as my current window manager of choice :)

You might to a look at Vimium/Pentadactyl if you want to try browsing without the help of a rodent.

Offline hashbaz

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 15:49:41 »
Welcome!  I live on Redhat at work and use i3 for my window manager.  With Chrome's vimium plugin I've been able to reduce mouse usage to almost zero for tasks that are not inherently pointer-oriented.  vim über alles!


Offline llwrt

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 22:50:35 »
does vim play nice with dvorak? or do you remap stuff?

Offline Smasher816

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 23:21:17 »
does vim play nice with dvorak? or do you remap stuff?

From what I know most of the (default) key bindings were based on mnemonics not location.

Offline smknjoe

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 23:49:17 »
Welcome Jakkdl. It's nice to know there are more Linux users around. I use Slackware and Debian for most of my needs. Let us know how your keyboard and computer journey evolve.
SSKs for everyone!

Offline katushkin

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 20 March 2014, 23:59:26 »
Welcome! I think you've made yourself a Rubber dome 60% (one down from 75% like the KC84).

We have a lot of Linux stuff at work, and I installed a Linux partition along with a couple of virtual partitions so I had Fedora and Ubuntu and something else, but I never got round to using it that much. Meh. I probably should.

But again, welcome.
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Offline jakkdl

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 21 March 2014, 17:14:25 »
Wow, so many replies! Thanks a lot everybody! I figured I'd get some attention by adding all applicable buzzwords I knew to my post - and it certainly worked!

I just got a Truly Ergonomic and it's very nice, worth the cash.  I updated the firmware with Dvorak right out of the box and it works beautifully.  I also use a Typematrix for work.  It's not mechanical and there is a learning curve, but with practice and time, it's pretty good.  I would prefer mechanical keys, but there are a lot of mechanical columnar layouts available now.  The Nexus for one.  Also, you might look at the Keyboard I.O. designed by one of the board members, which will also be a kickstarter.
I'd missed Keyboard.IO, that looks really interesting! Subscribed to their news, and eagerly anticipating it, together with the Nexus. But as they're both several months off I'll "have" to get something else in the meantime. I'll make sure to get your recommendations in mind when deciding what.

Welcome to GH!  I never heard of that game, but linux is good for people.
Thanks! Yeah it's pretty old and several years past it's peak. Linux certainly is good for people!

Welcome to GH. Glad to see another Arch Linux user. Personally I am running i3wm as my current window manager of choice :)

You might to a look at Vimium/Pentadactyl if you want to try browsing without the help of a rodent.
Thank you! There's certainly a lot of window managers to choose from, I've tried a few but pretty satisfied with ratpoison atm so not on the lookout for any else (yet...).

I've used both uzbl and dwb in the past (recommend them both heartily), but I've had some issues with them so I'm back to firefox, together with vimperator. I haven't tested vimium/pentadactyl but I'll do so one day as I've seen them mentioned every now and again. Death to the rodents!

Welcome!  I live on Redhat at work and use i3 for my window manager.  With Chrome's vimium plugin I've been able to reduce mouse usage to almost zero for tasks that are not inherently pointer-oriented.  vim über alles!

Show Image

Vim über alles! Death to the rodents!

Welcome to GH! Another linux user here(mint).
Feeling right at home :3

does vim play nice with dvorak? or do you remap stuff?

From what I know most of the (default) key bindings were based on mnemonics not location.
The only keybindings that are a bit weird are hjkl for navigation, they're normally all under the right hand, but they're not too bad, having h(left) on right index and l (right) on right pinky, with j and k next to eachother for down/up. The rest are just as good.

It's a pain to play nethack (which has diagonal movement) with dvorak though!

Welcome Jakkdl. It's nice to know there are more Linux users around. I use Slackware and Debian for most of my needs. Let us know how your keyboard and computer journey evolve.

My computer journey has been quite static for the last few years. I might move away from arch if I find something else that's as easy to configure, but doesn't need as much maintenance. At the moment having some strange problems with the computer locking up every now and then and swap not being used even if i hit 95%+ RAM - but I'm too lazy to fix them...

Currently in my keyboard journey I'm planning on ordering a bunch of black switches, for trying out ghetto greens and ghetto reds together with my blue switches. I've yet to find a good european alternative though, feels like a waste to order from america when ZF electronics (cherry creator) are from Germany.
It's hard to find a company with reasonable prices that doesn't charge exorbant prices for shipping. (Digikey.se: 53kr (8$) for 10 switches, 170kr (26$) in shipping...)

Welcome! I think you've made yourself a Rubber dome 60% (one down from 75% like the KC84).

We have a lot of Linux stuff at work, and I installed a Linux partition along with a couple of virtual partitions so I had Fedora and Ubuntu and something else, but I never got round to using it that much. Meh. I probably should.

But again, welcome.
The terminal is the best, it gives you another reason to use the keyboard!



I'll start up a thread asking for good european suppliers of switches  in a minute, and if I don't get any answers I'll reg on deskthority.net and do the same (heard there might be more europeans over there). Going to go for http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/cherry-mx-taking-pre-orders-t2760.html


The typematrix is crossed out from my list of potential keyboards due to crazy shipping prizes as well, 300$ for the keyboard + 100$ shipping is ... a lot. The one swedish reseller they recommended me when I emailed them sells them for 3374kr (528$)!

The Truly Ergonomical hits 2000kr (317$) including shipping, and the typematrix hits 927kr (145$) including shipping so they're both reasonable costed. Currently weighing towards TE, but the ergodox isn't completely out of the picture yet either.
« Last Edit: Fri, 21 March 2014, 18:38:34 by jakkdl »

Das Keyboard S Ultimate, Cherry MX Blue

Offline ideus

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 21 March 2014, 17:43:16 »
All applicable buzzwords you said? interesting, so attention is buzzwords driven?

Offline jakkdl

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 21 March 2014, 18:44:53 »
All applicable buzzwords you said? interesting, so attention is buzzwords driven?

Well, that's how cheap newspapers work at least, it's obviously not the only way, but had I not mentioned Linux or Dvorak I'm pretty sure the amount of replies would've dropped a fair bit.

What hopefully separates me from the cheap newspapers is having some interesting content pertaining to the buzzwords :x

Das Keyboard S Ultimate, Cherry MX Blue

Offline EvillePanda

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Re: Greetings from dvorak/Das/Arch Linux
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 21 March 2014, 23:04:30 »
The ergodox just came up on Mass Drop today as well, if you're up for soldering and programming.  I think I'll wait to the next round, after I've learned the process better.  You can also check the classifieds, see if anyone has a columnar to sell.
Visit the Typing Test and try!