From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.io!.POSTED.blaine.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Robert Thorpe Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: Help configuring a keyboard for Emacs Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2021 08:39:04 +0000 Message-ID: <87v9bzzzdj.fsf@robertthorpeconsulting.com> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Injection-Info: ciao.gmane.io; posting-host="blaine.gmane.org:116.202.254.214"; logging-data="26177"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@ciao.gmane.io" Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org To: Juan Herrera Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Thu Jan 14 09:40:29 2021 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]) by ciao.gmane.io with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.92) (envelope-from ) id 1kzyB9-0006hg-Px for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org; Thu, 14 Jan 2021 09:40:27 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:44778 helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1kzyB8-0007a3-Sk for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org; Thu, 14 Jan 2021 03:40:26 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:38536) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1kzyAP-0007ZU-8O for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 14 Jan 2021 03:39:41 -0500 Original-Received: from outbound-smtp10.blacknight.com ([46.22.139.15]:52195) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1kzyAM-000305-N1 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 14 Jan 2021 03:39:40 -0500 Original-Received: from mail.blacknight.com (pemlinmail03.blacknight.ie [81.17.254.16]) by outbound-smtp10.blacknight.com (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 37BDC1C4378 for ; Thu, 14 Jan 2021 08:39:34 +0000 (GMT) Original-Received: (qmail 14639 invoked from network); 14 Jan 2021 08:39:34 -0000 Original-Received: from unknown (HELO rt-inspiron-3480) (rt@robertthorpeconsulting.com@[109.76.74.4]) by 81.17.254.9 with ESMTPSA (AES256-SHA encrypted, authenticated); 14 Jan 2021 08:39:34 -0000 In-Reply-To: (message from Juan Herrera on Wed, 13 Jan 2021 21:48:58 +0100) Received-SPF: pass client-ip=46.22.139.15; envelope-from=rt@robertthorpeconsulting.com; helo=outbound-smtp10.blacknight.com X-Spam_score_int: -25 X-Spam_score: -2.6 X-Spam_bar: -- X-Spam_report: (-2.6 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_LOW=-0.7, SPF_HELO_NONE=0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no X-Spam_action: no action X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "help-gnu-emacs" Xref: news.gmane.io gmane.emacs.help:127232 Archived-At: Juan Herrera writes: > Hello, I'm new to Emacs and I have trouble using its keybindings. I > have a regular keyboard and the Control key is far away from the rest > of the keys so it's difficult to press the keyboard shortcuts easily. > > How do you configure and press keys on your keyboard? Could you > explain which fingers (also left or right hand) you use to press > things like C-f, C-M-a, etc.? Do you use a standard keyboard or > something special? * Modifiers with the other hand. It is often easiest to press the main key and the modifier key with different hands. For example, it can be easiest to press C-w by pressing ctrl with your right hand. * Using ESC and C-[ instead of Alt. Remember That escape is also meta. If you use alt then you have to press hold it down. On the other hand, ESC is a prefix. So, you can do C-M-a by pressing ESC then C-a. Also, C-[ does the same as ESC (with standard keybindings). That means you can to C-M-a by pressing C-[ C-a, of course you can hold down ctrl doing that. This is how I press the combinations that require ctrl and meta myself. * Remapping Caps-Lock. I don't do this, but lots of people do. You can swap caps-lock and ctrl. Or, you can just make caps-lock another ctrl. (I've also heard of people remapping tab to ctrl and remapping caps-lock to alt). * Pressing ctrl with the palm. I do this. You can press ctrl using the part of your palm next to the 4th finger. At least it's possible on desktop keyboards. Some people find this difficult. BR, Robert Thorpe