5 ms·

Remapping control to caps lock also could be used to avoid RSI.

susam 3y ago
The article at https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey says that some users get RSI by remapping 'ctrl' to 'caps lock'. Again, it is all anecdotal. There is no evidence or reference presented there. Only a vague claim at the top of the article. But I won't be surprised if it indeed turns out to be true. When 'ctrl' is mapped to 'caps lock', we use only the left hand to to type 'ctrl'. This leads to bad typing practices like contorting your left hand to type both 'ctrl' (now mapped to 'caps lock') and 'x' with the same hand. I believe it is best to balance out the 'ctrl' usage (or for that matter, any modifier key) across both hands. Many people map both their 'caps lock' and 'enter' key to behave like 'ctrl'. On its own 'enter' behaves like 'enter' but when combined with another key, it behaves like 'ctrl'. I think that's a great idea. But an even better idea is to have 'ctrl' key on both sides of the keyboard at a convenient locations.
- _dain_ 3y ago
  >This leads to bad typing practices like contorting your left hand to type both 'ctrl' (now mapped to 'caps lock') and 'x' with the same hand. wait, how else are you meant to type CTRL-X?
  - Jtsummers 3y ago
    Right pinky control key and left middle finger `x`. Or switch to Dvorak and it's easiest to use left pinky on control and right index finger on `x` (`x` on Dvorak is the same as `b` in QWERTY). I actually found most of the popular chords were much easier to type when I switched to Dvorak.
  - susam 3y ago
    Right little finger on 'ctrl'. Left little finger on 'x'. With proper touch-typing, that's how we type shift+x too, i.e., right little finger on 'shift' and left little finger on 'x'.
    - _dain_ 3y ago
      people actually use right-ctrl and right-shift? i forgot those keys even existed. but why not just use the left-ctrl? it's as easy as can be: pinky on ctrl, index finger on x, they're the perfect distance apart, you press them in one fluid movement. maybe I find this easier because I'm left handed?
      - cratermoon 3y ago
        My laptop keyboards don't have them, so even though I learned to use them, I'm picking up bad habits.
m00x 3y ago
I got an RSI even with this. Better to just avoid using emacs altogether unfortunately :(

The article at https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey says that some users get RSI by remapping 'ctrl' to 'caps lock'. Again, it is all anecdotal. There is no evidence or reference presented there. Only a vague claim at the top of the article. But I won't be surprised if it indeed turns out to be true. When 'ctrl' is mapped to 'caps lock', we use only the left hand to to type 'ctrl'. This leads to bad typing practices like contorting your left hand to type both 'ctrl' (now mapped to 'caps lock') and 'x' with the same hand. I believe it is best to balance out the 'ctrl' usage (or for that matter, any modifier key) across both hands. Many people map both their 'caps lock' and 'enter' key to behave like 'ctrl'. On its own 'enter' behaves like 'enter' but when combined with another key, it behaves like 'ctrl'. I think that's a great idea. But an even better idea is to have 'ctrl' key on both sides of the keyboard at a convenient locations.

_dain_ 3y ago
>This leads to bad typing practices like contorting your left hand to type both 'ctrl' (now mapped to 'caps lock') and 'x' with the same hand. wait, how else are you meant to type CTRL-X?
- Jtsummers 3y ago
  Right pinky control key and left middle finger `x`. Or switch to Dvorak and it's easiest to use left pinky on control and right index finger on `x` (`x` on Dvorak is the same as `b` in QWERTY). I actually found most of the popular chords were much easier to type when I switched to Dvorak.
- susam 3y ago
  Right little finger on 'ctrl'. Left little finger on 'x'. With proper touch-typing, that's how we type shift+x too, i.e., right little finger on 'shift' and left little finger on 'x'.
  - _dain_ 3y ago
    people actually use right-ctrl and right-shift? i forgot those keys even existed. but why not just use the left-ctrl? it's as easy as can be: pinky on ctrl, index finger on x, they're the perfect distance apart, you press them in one fluid movement. maybe I find this easier because I'm left handed?
    - cratermoon 3y ago
      My laptop keyboards don't have them, so even though I learned to use them, I'm picking up bad habits.

m00x 3y ago

I got an RSI even with this. Better to just avoid using emacs altogether unfortunately :(