What is the best way to avoid getting “Emacs Pinky”? [closed]

Answer 1

Buy a Happy Hacking Keyboard which has Ctrl in The Right Place (Caps Lock is moved elsewhere). It has excellent response and is configurable via DIP switches for maximum integration on Mac, Windows, and Linux (for example, you can switch what is Alt and what is the Windows key right from the keyboard, no software required).

It also has a very small footprint, if that suits your fancy.

Answer 2

One solution not yet mentioned here is to use both hands for key combinations.

For example, suppose you want to press <CTRL-K>. On QWERTY-keyboards, <K> is on the right, so press <CTRL> with your left hand and <K> with your right hand. Once you get used to the system, it works fine.

Answer 3

Since this thread is still kinda going, I'll add my two cents:

With or without emacs, the ctrl key is useful for tons of stuff on linux or windows: copy, cut, paste, find, close, quit... I use this stuff constantly. So as others have suggested, I want that near the spacebar so I can use my thumb. And that's how it is by default on a mac, where all that stuff uses the cmd key:

[ctrl] [alt] [cmd] [spacebar]

So, I use a mac keyboard on my linux box, and set up the cmd key as a second ctrl key (In Ubuntu Lucid: Keyboard Prefs > Layouts > Options > Alt/Win Key Behavior > Control is mapped to Win keys (and the usual Ctrl keys))

[ctrl] [alt] [ctrl] [spacebar]

Other benefits: * When I need to use a mac sometimes, cut/paste/etc are all in the same place I'm used to. * ctrl+tab (with the real ctrl key) still moves through tabs for browsers and other apps, on both platforms.

The drawback to this plan is that the alt key has moved to the left, so the alt+tab command (which I use for window switching) no longer matches the mac equivalent cmd+tab. But I can still hit it with my thumb, and it's still, to me, a far lesser evil than destroying my pinky. Yeah, I know I could just make ctrl+tab the window switcher, but then the real ctrl key doesn't work for tab switching. Besides, with apps moving into the browser, the window/tab navigational strategies are gonna be in flux for a while -- but the basics like cut/paste aren't going anywhere, so I want them locked down. Under my thumb.

(Of course, if you wanted to use emacs on a mac, I guess you'd be back at square one...)

Answer 4

I use the excellent key-chord mode for common actions. You can give it functions or key sequences to call.

To make sure I do not obstruct normal typing too much, I generated letter statistics to find good key chords. I recorded them along with my default chords.

Additionally to more convenient command-calling, I have chords for inserting stuff like

Best wishes,
Arne

I hate writing emails without that ☺

Also I use control lock mode for things like flyspell, where I need control all the time. That’s modal editing with real emacs shortcuts.

The chords I use the most are

; buffer actions
(key-chord-define-global "vg"     'eval-region)
(key-chord-define-global "vb"     'eval-buffer)
(key-chord-define-global "cy"     'yank-pop)
(key-chord-define-global "cg"     "\C-c\C-c")
(key-chord-define-global "äü"     'control-lock-toggle)

; frame actions
(key-chord-define-global "xo"     'other-window);
(key-chord-define-global "x1"     'delete-other-windows)
(key-chord-define-global "x0"     'delete-window)
(defun kill-this-buffer-if-not-modified ()
  (interactive)
  ; taken from menu-bar.el
  (if (menu-bar-non-minibuffer-window-p)
      (kill-buffer-if-not-modified (current-buffer))
    (abort-recursive-edit)))
(key-chord-define-global "xk"     'kill-this-buffer-if-not-modified)

; file actions
(key-chord-define-global "bf"     'ido-switch-buffer)
(key-chord-define-global "cf"     'ido-find-file)
(key-chord-define-global "zs"     "\C-x\C-s")
(key-chord-define-global "vc"     'vc-next-action)

Answer 5

Per @Alasdair, remap Ctrl to "Caps Locks" or elsewhere: instructions for various platforms.

P.S. I'm a bit surprised this can't be done via an elisp function.

Answer 6

I started using the side\palm of my hands to hit the control key instead of my pinky fingers. My understanding is that on more ergonomic keyboards the control key button is bigger which makes it easier to perform that motion.