Keyboard preview

Our aim to have a keyboard which would be convenient for typing without distraction. In current instruction we will get keybindings look like in preview, but you could change any of them on your own using current example.

Setup instruction for Linux with Key Mapper

Key Mapper link: https://github.com/sezanzeb/key-mapper

Disable Caps Lock

Then install GNOME Tweaks

$ sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

Open tweak tools and choose settings in "Keyboard & Mouse" -> "Additional Layout Options" -> "Caps Lock behavior":

• "Caps Lock is disabled"

Make Control as Win

Open tweak tools and choose settings in "Keyboard & Mouse" -> "Additional Layout Options" -> "Alt/Win behavior":

• "Ctrl is mapped to Alt; Alt is mapped to Win"

Install the latest Key Mapper

sudo apt install git python3-setuptools
wget https://github.com/sezanzeb/key-mapper/releases/download/0.8.1/key-mapper-0.8.1.deb
sudo dpkg -i key-mapper-0.8.1.deb

Configure Key Mapper

Create new preset with any name you choose. Then copy text from config from file of this repo:

cat key-mapper/presets/USB-HID Keyboard/Andrey.json 

to the Key Mapper preset config: .config/key-mapper/presets/USB-HID Keyboard.

Note: a keyboard name could be different.

Note: other config files in dir key-mapper of the repo are for backup purposes.

Enable mapping

Now you could open Key Mapper and chose the preset you configured. After that press Apply. And key mapping should work immediatly. If you want to make it default on system start enable Autoload switch.

Setup instruction for Linux with Autokey (DEPRECATED)

Requirements

• Ubuntu 18.04
• GNOME Tweaks
• AutoKey

*Tested Ubuntu 18.04.

Change keys for a couple of default actions

In Autokey itself Settings -> Devices -> Keyboard:

Lock screen -> Shift+Ctrl+L
Close window -> Shift+Ctrl+W

Make Caps Lock as Hyper

Then install GNOME Tweaks

$ sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

Open tweak tools and choose settings in "Keyboard & Mouse" -> "Additional Layout Options" -> "Caps Lock behavior":

• Typing->Caps Lock key behavior->Make Caps Lock an additional Hyper

Make Control as Win

Open GNOME Tweaks

Open tweak tools and choose settings in "Keyboard & Mouse" -> "Additional Layout Options" -> "Alt/Win behavior":

• "Ctrl is mapped to Alt; Alt is mapped to Win"

Change keyboard key bindings

Install AutoKey:

$ sudo apt-get install autokey-gtk

Open the program and disable default bindings for Hyper key inside AutoKey itself:

• Edit->Preferences->Special Hotkeys
• Make clean all of them

Add symlink for predefined keybindings from current repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/abogoyavlensky/keymap.git
$ ln -s /full/path/to/keymap/Phrases /full/path/to/.config/autokey/data/Phrases

Also nice to have AutoKey always running. For that, please put it to autostart:

• Open Gnome Tweak Tools and add the program in the tab called Startup Application.

Setup instruction for macOS

Requirements

• Tested on macOS 10.14.4
• Install Karabiner

Enable karabiner_grabber

Source: pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements#3011 (comment)

• go to macOS settings: System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Input Monitoring
• unlock to make changes
• if you don't see karabiner_grabber click plus "+" button
• add the /Library/Application Support/org.pqrs/Karabiner-Elements/bin/karabiner_grabber
• and enable it by clicking checkbox

Import configuration

Open next links to the browser to import configuration into Karabiner:

• karabiner://karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/import?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abogoyavlensky/keymap/master/Karabiner/keymap-arrows.json
• karabiner://karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/import?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abogoyavlensky/keymap/master/Karabiner/keymap-f-keys.json

All enabled complex modifications should looks like this:

That's it

Now your keyboard should look like on preview above.

All key bindings also work for any additional layout on your machine without delay after switching between them.

Additional info

UK keyboard

Mapping UK keyboard signs to US

• karabiner://karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/import?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abogoyavlensky/keymap/master/Karabiner/keymap-uk-pound-to-hash.json

Reassign § key to ~

pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements#1365

To know keycode of usual keys run following command and press the key

$ xev -event keyboard

To know name of special keys please check wiki page of AutoKey

https://github.com/autokey/autokey/wiki/Special-Keys

Useful links

• http://tonsky.me/blog/cursor-keys/ - inspiration;
• https://github.com/madslundt/keybindings - different approach for Linux;
• http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/ - keyboard picture.

Caveats:

• in Autokey some of helpful Ubuntu system key bindings don't work with new arrow keys. For example, you should still use ordinary arrows to move current window to bottom workspace and so on: <ctrl>+<alt>+<down>.