From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Lennart Borgman (gmail)" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: How to get rid of *GNU Emacs* buffer on start-up? Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:16:27 +0200 Message-ID: <48D78C9B.4060905@gmail.com> References: <873ajzwoqu.fsf@kobe.laptop> <823901dd-c54c-4e3b-b6ad-512d52724a46@z11g2000prl.googlegroups.com> <87ljxoffs6.fsf@atthis.clsnet.nl> <2868c8db-ff02-4d67-9e80-4cf323086ca3@l33g2000pri.googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1222085837 14787 80.91.229.12 (22 Sep 2008 12:17:17 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:17:17 +0000 (UTC) Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org To: Xah Lee Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Sep 22 14:18:11 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1KhkMi-0001AB-B2 for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:18:08 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:43439 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KhkLg-0004KY-9b for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:17:04 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1KhkLL-0004KT-FC for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:16:43 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1KhkLJ-0004KH-UP for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:16:42 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=46302 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KhkLJ-0004KE-MY for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:16:41 -0400 Original-Received: from ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net ([80.76.149.212]:55209) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1KhkLI-0007yV-K5 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:16:41 -0400 Original-Received: from c83-254-151-87.bredband.comhem.se ([83.254.151.87]:59597 helo=[127.0.0.1]) by ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net with esmtp (Exim 4.68) (envelope-from ) id 1KhkLD-0003Bd-5P; Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:16:39 +0200 User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.9) Gecko/20071031 Thunderbird/2.0.0.9 Mnenhy/0.7.5.666 In-Reply-To: X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.7 X-Antivirus: avast! 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X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:57890 Archived-At: Xah Lee wrote: > Hi Erik Fragga, > > On the subject of RSI, perhaps you should use Dvorak, and you'd be > interested in my article here: > > How To Avoid The Emacs Pinky Problem > http://xahlee.org/emacs/emacs_pinky.html Xah, it is good that you try to help people with this, but why don't you mention sticky keys: http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/StickyModifiers On the bottom of that page is also a link to Alex Schröder's comment about physical fitness and RSI. I very much agree with Alex conclusion. > Text version follows: > ------------------------------------- > How To Avoid The Emacs Pinky Problem > > Xah Lee, 2006 > > Emacs makes frequent use of the control key. On a conventional > keyboard, the Control Key is at the lower left corner of the keyboard, > usually not very large and is pressed by the pinky finger. For those > who use emacs all day, this will result in repetitive strain injury↗. > This page lists some tips on avoiding this pinky problem. > > I've been using computer since 1991, at least 8 hours a day on average > every singe day. I was a QWERTY touch-typist with 80 wpm and worked as > a secretary for about 2 years, then in ~1994 i switched to Dvorak. I > started to use emacs everyday since 1998. I am a keyboard and key > macro nerd, and have used tens of keyboard macro or keymap type of > utilities on the Mac, unixes, and Windows, always looking for the most > ergonomic and efficient way to operate the keyboard and computer. This > page summarize my experiences applied to emacs. > > The best way to avoid the pinky problem is actually to use a good > keyboard. Let us start with some tips on choosing a good keyboard. > Tips For Selecting A Computer Keyboard > > Here are some keyboard hardware advices: > > • Buy a keyboard such that the Alt and Control keys are large. > > • Buy a keyboard where Alt and Control are also available on the right > side. > > • The Alt and Control key's positions on the left and right sides > should have the same distance to your left and right thumbs (while > your hands are rested in standard touch-type position). Specifically: > the distance from the left Alt to the F key should be the same as the > right Alt to the J key. > > BAD > Apple keyboard > > above: The Apple keyboard as of 2006. Note the ridiculous distance of > the right side's modifier keys. It is not possible, to use the right > thumb to press the alt key while the index finger remains on the J. > > Many keyboards don't have full set of modifier keys on the right side, > and when they do, they are positioned far to the right, making them > not much usable for touch typing. For example, the keyboards made by > Apple Computer, their right-side Command/Alt/Ctrl keys are inferior > citizens. They are placed far more to the right, making the right set > of modifier keys difficult or impossible to reach with the thumb. It > makes these keys essentially decorative in nature. (Apple did this to > make the keys flush at the lower right corner; sacrificing function > for esthetics.). > > GOOD > Microsoft Natural Multimedia keyboard > > above: The Microsoft Natural Multimedia keyboard. Note, the keys are > split and oriented for each hand. And, the Ctrl, Alt are very large > and symmetrically positioned with respect to each hand's thumb. (See A > Review of Microsoft Natural Keyboards) > > For more extensive commentary on various computer keyboards and > design, see: Computer keyboards Gallery. > How To Press The Control Key > Use Your Palm or Semi-Fist > > Do not use your pinky to press the Control key. > > For most PC keyboards, it is very easy to press the control key using > your palm. Just open your hand somewhat and push down with the meat at > the chopping edge of your hand. Alternatively, you can roll your wrist > a bit, curl in your fingers into a semi-fist, then sit your fist on > the control key. > Use Both Hands > > Do not use a just one hand to type a Control+‹key› combo. > > Use one hand to press Control, use the other hand to press the > combination key. This is the same principle for pressing the Shift key > in touch-typing. > > When the key you want to press is on the left side of the keyboard, > use the right side of Control key. For example, to press “Ctrl+a”, > hold down the right Control with your right palm edge, and use your > left hand to press “a”. Make this into a habit. Using a single hand to > press “Ctrl+‹key›” combo usually means your hand needs to cram into a > particular shape, thus putting stress on it when done repeatedly. > > This is also why choosing a keyboard with Control keys positioned on > both sides of the keyboard symmetrically, is important. > Software Ways To Avoid the Pinky Problem > > A good keyboard and good typing habit is good. But suppose you are > stuck with a lousy keyboard or your notebook computer. A notebook > computer usually don't have control key on both sides of the keyboard. > Its control key is very small, and it cannot be pressed by palm. Here > are some suggestions for this situation. > Swap Control and Alt > > Try swapping the Control and Alt keys. > > Emacs's are developed for Lisp Machine's keyboards of the 1980s, which > have the Control key near the space bar, and the Meta key further away > from the space bar. So, Control key is the primary modifier key. > However, today's keyboards have Alt instead of Meta, and the Control > key is placed at the far corner instead. Emacs did not change its > shortcuts. It simply mapped the Meta to Alt. That is why today, most > frequently used keyboard shortcuts have the more difficult to press > Control key instead of the Alt. For more detail on this and other > aspects of emacs's shortcuts, see: Why Emacs's Keyboard Shortcuts Are > Painful. > > By switching the Alt and Control key, will make Emacs's keyboard > shortcuts much easier to use as it was designed. > > The other advantage of swapping Alt and Control, is that on Windows > and Linuxes, most direct shortcuts involve the Ctrl key. By swapping, > Windows shortcuts are made easier since now Control is right under > your thumb. On the Mac, shortcuts are made with the Cmd key. If you > swap Control with Cmd, the primary modifier Cmd will be at the corner, > thus make it more difficult to use all other applications. The best > thing to do on the Mac is to swap Control and Cmd only in Emacs. I do > not know if it is possible to swap Ctrl and Alt within emacs. > > For system-wide swap of modifier keys on OS X, see: How to Swap > Modifier Keys on OS X. > Swap Cap Lock and Control > > Another commonly suggested solution is to remap the the Cap Lock and > Control key by swapping them. This is not a optimal solution, because > the Control key is still pressed by the pinky, and somewhat displaces > your hand on home position. Also, there is now only one Control key, > making the left pinky doing double work. (modifier keys comes in pairs > for good reasons. Try pick out a Shift key and type for a week) > However, if you are stuck on a lousy keyboard such as laptops, and > unable to swap Ctrl and Alt, then making the Cap Lock key as Control > might be a practical solution. > > For detail, see: Why You Should Not Swap Cap Lock With Control. > > It is not possible to swap cap locks and control key within emacs, > because the cap-lock key signal is not received by applications. > However, you can do it with several system utilities. In unix-like > systems, this is done with xmodmap. See Emacs wiki: moving the Ctrl > key↗. > Use a Ergonomic Shortcut Layout > > If you are adventurous, the best solution is to use a ergonomically > designed shortcut layout for emacs. > > See: A Ergonomic Keyboard Shortcut Layout For Emacs. > Dvorak Keyboard Layout > > Perhaps a more important ergonomic improvement one can make is by > using the Dvorak keyboard layout. > dvorak keyboard layout > > I've been using Dvorak keyboard since 1994. It works beautifully with > emacs. It makes typing more comfortable. (i use emacs since 1997). If > you use unix/X11, you can switch to dvorak by running > dvorakKeymap.txt. On Mac OS X, use “System Preference: International”. > On Windows XP, go to “Control Panel:Regional and Language Options”. > > For more info about Dvorak layout, see Wikipedia: Dvorak Simplified > Keyboard↗. > > A web comics introducing Dvorak: http://www.dvzine.org/zine/index.html > > A video game: The Typing of the Dead↗. > > Xah > ∑ http://xahlee.org/ > > ☄ > > On Sep 22, 1:25 am, Eric S Fraga > wrote: >> On 2008-09-20,XahLee wrote: >> >>> On Sep 19, 8:32 am, Eric S Fraga wrote: >>>> On 2008-09-19,XahLee wrote: >>>>> [...] >>>>> than graphical user interface or using a mouse. This seems ridiculous >>>>> today, but such voices are commonly seen all over newsgroups. (Since >>>> the reasons still stand and they are not ridiculous. >>> In argument, you can't just say something is ridiculous. You have to >>> give reasons. >> Excuse me? *You* said the reasons were ridiculous, not me. The >> reasons are there, as you implied. Let me give you a couple: >> >> 1. RSI: I cannot use a mouse without pain. >> 2. speed: I type 60+ wpm, which is not particularly fast but results >> in faster output than using the mouse, especially if the GUI is badly >> designed (which applies to most graphical apps in my experience). >> >> Others will have their own reasons and calling them ridiculous is >> potentially insulting. If you prefer a graphical interface, fine. I >> do not. >> >>> Perhaps you think something is obvious. But in arguments, others might >>> think the opposite is obvious. That's why good argument needs explicit >>> reasons. >> I agree; you said reasons had been given for text based interfaces. >> You then said these were ridiculous and then failed to give any >> reasons why. Maybe you should start listening to your own advice? >> Just a friendly suggestion. >> >> -- >> Eric S Fraga, UCL >> GP Key: FFFCF67D F'prnt: 8F5C 279D 3907 E14A 5C29 570D C891 93D8 FFFC F67D >> BF >++++++++++[>++++++++++>+++++++++++[<]>-]>++.>++++.<-----.++++++.------. > >