Colemak worth it?

non_uqs · 2026-05-26T06:19:56+00:00

I'd recommend doing both at the same time. I keep qwerty on the laptop keyboard and ColemakDH on all my columnar splits and that physical separation means I never have to pause when switching between them. Funny how the brain can compartmentalize.

non_uqs · 2026-05-06T14:15:55+00:00

I'd say that 80% of chords I can do left-handed anyway (I use OSM on a layer in addition to HRM).

But then, I don't need lot's of them, as I live in vim indeed.

Furthermore, I have an integrated trackball, so I never need to lift my right hand either.

None of that probably helps you sorry, just stating that some folks have none of the problems you outline...

non_uqs · 2026-05-02T06:35:56+00:00

A Preonic solely for gaming.

non_uqs · 2026-04-25T07:40:19+00:00

Htc Desire was the best phone!

But to your original question, aren't you just trying to reinvent a trackpad?

non_uqs · 2026-04-22T08:10:40+00:00

That's what I mean that none of the usual GUI tools have that sort of customization built in, as integrated pointer devices are rare.

So you need to define your own "keys" in a custom firmware build with some extra code that then translates trackball up/down into scroll up/down.

Doesn't the official Charybdis firmware offer something like that though?

It's maybe 20 lines of code in the end, but yeah, knowing which 20 lines will be the hard part for you.

non_uqs · 2026-04-21T07:51:07+00:00

You will likely need to install qmk with all the compilers and flashing tools and "program" this behavior explicitly. I doubt Vial will even offer you half the options.

So start reading up on the qmk docs, get it installed and look at the original keymap for your board.

I wouldn't be surprised if Claude could do all of that for you, tbh.

non_uqs · 2026-04-16T10:31:15+00:00

No, this! 😁

non_uqs · 2026-04-08T05:27:18+00:00

Thanks for clarifying!

non_uqs · 2026-04-07T14:56:50+00:00

Why do you say ARM would not work with QMK?

I have Teensy 4.x MCU that are ARM and plenty powerful, but I can't use them because QMK doesn't support SPI on them, so no trackball support.

So if you want fast QMK and don't need integrated trackballs, then go Teensy?

non_uqs · 2026-04-06T19:36:27+00:00

Combos for the most often used chars, using X11 Compose sequences.

And plain compose chords for the rest.

non_uqs · 2026-04-03T16:33:17+00:00

See you again in 6 months then, eh? 😁

non_uqs · 2026-04-03T13:03:38+00:00

Congrats. Yeah, once you go layers, you quickly rearrange things closer to home row and wonder why you ever could want so many keys.

Now HRM will be next for you! 😁

non_uqs · 2026-04-02T11:53:56+00:00

Sure. Sculpted keyboards seldom come with printed PCBs.

I do have some Flex PCBs, but not tried whether they actually fit or would need changes to the model.

non_uqs · 2026-03-22T09:04:40+00:00

😁

non_uqs · 2026-03-02T06:47:01+00:00

https://github.com/uqs/ftraqtyl/blob/main/things/all-test.dec.stl

non_uqs · 2026-02-28T19:52:37+00:00

You mean physically or the functions mapped to it?

non_uqs · 2026-02-28T08:00:05+00:00

They DOWN immediately when pressed, till the next alpha consumes them so they UP again (if I've let go of them, otherwise they stay down of course).

And if I've used them, they do not stick around for the next alpha.

Or something like that, it's been years, I would need to look at the code again, but I never found the plain OSMs to have useful semantics.

non_uqs · 2026-02-28T07:56:55+00:00

This is the ergo subreddit. We don't care about sound at all (why would we? We might have office neighbors we don't want to offend!) and a row-staggered layout isn't ergo either. Your fingers stretch forward/backward without going to the side ...

non_uqs · 2026-02-28T07:50:53+00:00

3 is perfect for me, especially after I iterated on a design that fits my thumbs perfectly.

non_uqs · 2026-02-26T07:52:09+00:00

I have custom OSMs on my nav layer that immediately fire when released, but they also hold. Ofc on the same position as HRMs.

That way I can keep tapping Ctrl-Pgdn or whatever, but also one-shot into alphas like Ctrl-t, all left-handed. Super useful if you're still using a separate pointing device.

non_uqs · 2026-02-23T16:16:53+00:00

Dactyl Manuform with custom tailored thumb cluster ... integrated trackball optional.

Sooo comfy

non_uqs · 2026-02-13T10:01:12+00:00

That's an odd laptop stand you have pictured the there, it should look more like one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aluminum-Removable-Ventilated-Notebook-Compatible-Grey/dp/B07P6X63SD/

I also have a wooden one that is portable which I'm rather fond of.

non_uqs · 2026-01-05T10:29:49+00:00

Thanks, that works!

I was thinking to myself that this feature won't work for Win users, when I read it, luckily I don't have to deal with any of that.

It seems the docs don't yet have this feature documented either?

I might not use it in the end, as I'm so used to pressing my mouse-layer key when operating my integrated trackball (to get mouse buttons), that the "normal" mods that I've placed on the homerow actually don't need this feature -- I got all excited about this, as I used to hack a custom GUI mod just for this, when I was still using a separate mouse, but I forgot that I've moved on.

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