Random trivia for *nix users

[ch_123]

Ever wonder why ~ represents your home directory, or why vi/vim uses h j k l for arrow keys?

This terminal, the ADM-3A is to blame -

[EverythingIBM]

I hate toilet bowl terminals. And I especially hate arrow keys in one row like that (commodore liked doing that, grrr; they should have copied IBM's perfect layout).

[HaaTa]

Lately, I've been preferring the numpad arrows over the typical ones.
Currently Colemak is holding me off from using the hjkl keys in vim (all the other keys are fine).

[konz]

Wow, I din't know that!

Some more trivia (unsubstantiated): ~ is used as a (binary) negation in C and derived languages because dd's EBCDIC map turns ~ into the (logical) negation symbol.

Substantiated: &, | and ~ have lower priority than == in C because && and || were added later.

[kode]

hjkl is to me, not wrong because it's on one row. It's a bit wrong for not being the right side of home row position, instead shifted one key to the left.

[ch_123]

they should have copied IBM's perfect layout).

Like IBM copied DEC?

[ch_123]

What is that behemoth under the desk?

[TexasFlood]

Like IBM copied DEC?

True, we all have DEC to thank for our inverse "T" arrow keys and really the most popular & copied keyboard design of the last 30 years.

As I understand it, at the time the LK201 was released, most of the industry followed IBM's lead at the time including DEC.

Apparently there was a "LK201 keyboard committee" who, after an internal study, brainstormed the new arrow key design in just a few minutes.

Although the LK201 came out in 1982 after the original IBM PC, IBM (and nearly everyone else) copied it as soon as they could.  Couple more interesting links regarding the LK201 and the design of it's arrow keys.

[kishy]

The display station on that Dutch system looks like one of the pre-Mac Apple systems, monitor included.

Lisa maybe?

[TexasFlood]

The display station on that Dutch system looks like one of the pre-Mac Apple systems, monitor included.

Lisa maybe?

It's a monster Zilog CP/M system.  The display is a just a terminal.

[kishy]

It's a monster Zilog CP/M system.  The display is a just a terminal.

I know...I'm saying the display station portion itself looks like an old Apple system, as a whole.

[TexasFlood]

I know...I'm saying the display station portion itself looks like an old Apple system, as a whole.

OK, my bad...

[DreymaR]

Ripster, could you please provide a link to that study or a writeup of it?

[TexasFlood]

Ripster, could you please provide a link to that study or a writeup of it?

Check that link "the design of it's arrow keys" in my earlier post, it's all there.

[iMav]

I was an Air Force brat plus did one tour myself in the late 80's/early 90's (spending a good portion of that time in the Middle East during the first Gulf War).

[ricercar]

It's a monster Zilog CP/M system.  The display is a just a terminal.

Z-80: So much better than x86. Unfortunately, Zilog was owned by an IBM-competitor, so IBM dismissed the Z-80 for the IBM PC without consideration for its technical merits.

in the late 80's/early 90's

Just married, newly degreed again, and looking for a job. And looking, and looking. Hmm, the First George Bush War sounds a lot like the Second George Bush War to me.

[JBert]

Lately, I've been preferring the numpad arrows over the typical ones.
Currently Colemak is holding me off from using the hjkl keys in vim (all the other keys are fine).

I got this in my .vimrc to use UNEI:

Code: [Select]

nnoremap <C-n> h
xnoremap <C-n> h
onoremap <C-n> h
nnoremap <C-u> k
xnoremap <C-u> k
onoremap <C-u> k
nnoremap <C-e> j
xnoremap <C-e> j
onoremap <C-e> j
nnoremap <C-i> l
xnoremap <C-i> l
onoremap <C-i> l
inoremap <C-n> <Left>
&quot;cnoremap <C-n> <Left>
inoremap <C-u> <Up>
&quot;cnoremap <C-u> <Up>
inoremap <C-e> <Down>
&quot;cnoremap <C-e> <Down>
inoremap <C-i> <Right>
&quot;cnoremap <C-i> <Right>While you always have to press Ctrl to use the cursors, they work in almost every mode and it doesn't remap your whole Vim like Shai's version does.

[EverythingIBM]

Cool. I was playing MUD and wiping out Orcs.

Warcraft 1?

I think what makes warcraft 1 challenging is the fact you can only select, what, 4 units at a time? Then you had to use M to move, and ctrl to select. It was still moderately fun: but I really like warcraft 2.

[ch_123]

Hmm, the First George Bush War sounds a lot like the Second George Bush War to me.

They managed to win the first one...

[JBert]

Cool. I was playing MUD and wiping out Orcs.

Warcraft 1?

I think what makes warcraft 1 challenging is the fact you can only select, what, 4 units at a time? Then you had to use M to move, and ctrl to select. It was still moderately fun: but I really like warcraft 2.

Ehr no, MUD. That's text for you.

[EverythingIBM]

Ehr no, MUD. That's text for you.

I thought he meant mud and warcraft 1.

I know about mud games; I'm not the biggest fan of them.

[HaaTa]

I got this in my .vimrc to use UNEI:

Code: [Select]

nnoremap <C-n> h
xnoremap <C-n> h
onoremap <C-n> h
nnoremap <C-u> k
xnoremap <C-u> k
onoremap <C-u> k
nnoremap <C-e> j
xnoremap <C-e> j
onoremap <C-e> j
nnoremap <C-i> l
xnoremap <C-i> l
onoremap <C-i> l
inoremap <C-n> <Left>
&quot;cnoremap <C-n> <Left>
inoremap <C-u> <Up>
&quot;cnoremap <C-u> <Up>
inoremap <C-e> <Down>
&quot;cnoremap <C-e> <Down>
inoremap <C-i> <Right>
&quot;cnoremap <C-i> <Right>While you always have to press Ctrl to use the cursors, they work in almost every mode and it doesn't remap your whole Vim like Shai's version does.

Neat! Definitely have to try it out.

[ricercar]

You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all the same.

[pikapika]

this distro is nice, full text mode, but very efficient and many things can be done
http://inx.maincontent.net

feels a bit like in the old days of vt100

[pfink]

You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all the same.

A hollow voice says "PLUGH".

[ricercar]

I call your PLUGH and raise you an XYZZY!

[Xuan]

I call your PLUGH and raise you an XYZZY!

You guys would like emacs dunnet.

[DreymaR]

PLOVER.

On a side note: I use the Alt key myself, for Vim's omnimode UNEI navigation needs. I use mostly GVim in Windows, and if you hit and then release the Alt key you get menu selection which frees up the Alt key for key combos like these - brilliant!

I do a lot more, fiddler that I am, but I try to be a bit less intrusive than Shai was.

Excerpt (if you don't want to remap the unmodified UNEI keys, use M-unei mappings throughout):

Code: [Select]

set winaltkeys=no " allow mapping of alt (meta) key shortcuts
" Make Alt pop up the menu for all keys, mappings in use will be overridden subsequentially
" Note that menus can also be activated by pressind AND RELEASING the Alt key first, and then the letter key!
noremap <silent> <M-e> :simalt e<CR>|noremap <silent> <M-i> :simalt i<CR>|
noremap <silent> <M-n> :simalt n<CR>|noremap <silent> <M-u> :simalt u<CR>|

&quot; Up/down/left/right
nnoremap u k|xnoremap u k|onoremap u k|noremap! <M-u> <Up>|snoremap <M-u> <Up>|
nnoremap n h|xnoremap n h|onoremap n h|noremap! <M-n> <Left>|snoremap <M-n> <Left>|
nnoremap e j|xnoremap e j|onoremap e j|noremap! <M-e> <Down>|snoremap <M-e> <Down>|
nnoremap i l|xnoremap i l|onoremap i l|noremap! <M-i> <Right>|snoremap <M-i> <Right>|
&quot; TODO: Exclusive (=not linewise) motions? (gk/gj)

[phobus]

A hollow voice says "PLUGH".

I call your PLUGH and raise you an XYZZY!

You are both likely to be eaten by a grue.