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    Typing tutor programs for Linux that support Colemak wide mod-DH?

    • Started by ksynwa
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    • Registered: 11-Oct-2020
    • Posts: 1

    Hi. I want to try out English Colemak with the wide mod-DH. (Sorry if the terminology is wrong. Please feel free to correct me.) My cheap new mechanical keyboard arrives in a couple days so I was working on setting up Colemak with said mod on my computer which runs Void Linux in the meanwhile.

    I was wondering how you folks learn a new layout. Like most I have used QWERTY all my life but I am not very good at it (slow and inaccurate, with bad touch typing habits) so from my very limited knowledge typing tutor programs (like klavaro, gtypist, keybr.com, etc.) are the way to go. But klavaro supports only standard Colemak OOTB (though it allows customisable layouts) but I was wondering what your thoughts are on this.

    To summarise my rambling:

    1. Are typing tutor programs a decent way to get in the swing of using a new keyboard layout, specifically Colemak's wide mod-DH?
    2. If yes, then which such program do you like (preferably because of good experience that you had)?

    Thanks for bearing with me.

    Edir: Forgot to mention I type only in English.

    Last edited by ksynwa (11-Oct-2020 10:47:42)
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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    There are different ways. One is Tarmak, see my signature. You should also browse the Big Bag for ideas, there's a learning topic in it.

    I don't know of tutors that teach Colemak-DH, but I don't think that's necessary either. If you really feel the need for a tutor program, you may have to learn vanilla Colemak with it first, then add the CurlAngleWide (my name for DH plus Wide) afterwards.

    Last edited by DreymaR (11-Oct-2020 16:29:57)

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    Monkey type has got settings for Colemak-DH and Colemak-DHm. I don't know what difference this makes in practise though.

    Keybr.com lets you train specific sets of letters/fingers at a time. Although Colemak-DH isn't directly supported, using the Colemak setting will work fine because no keys change fingers between Colemak and Colemak-DH.

    Last edited by stevep99 (12-Oct-2020 10:33:50)

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    • Registered: 06-Nov-2020
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    I'll recommend you my crude (but I think it is powerful(efficiently remember how to typing) by the spacing effect) tiny typing tutor, it designed for support any possible better keyboard layout.
    My typing tutor link: https://forum.colemak.com/topic/2643-le … ing-tutor/
    Also I'm one Linux (Debian) user so I think it is very likely you can directly use my tutor program.

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    • Registered: 18-Nov-2017
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    Not sure exactly how wide mod DH looks but the practice texts at the bottom of these pages will likely help:

    https://www.keyboard-design.com/letterl … ll.en.ansi

    https://www.keyboard-design.com/letterl … de.en.ansi

    Cheers, Ian

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    The bottom row ZXCDV keys, and the finger assignment colours, are not correct in this diagram.

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    stevep99 said:

    The bottom row ZXCDV keys, and the finger assignment colours, are not correct in this diagram.

    More specifically, that's the non-Angle variant which is for matrix boards, used on a row-staggered board. Many newcomers seem to think that's a good idea, but it really isn't.

    Not sure why people don't get the idea behind the Angle mod, but we've seen a lot of newcomers not getting it lately.

    What is that site though? It looks quite thorough and interesting. Further down the page it does mention "Angle mod analysis", but since the rest of the analysis ignores the Angle mod (among other things, the "Easy-Block" suffers from this mistake!) the net result can't quite be trusted.

    Last edited by DreymaR (18-Nov-2020 09:00:12)

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    Mmm... so noted.
    The layout and fingering came from Patrick's original, I think.

    When I did those pages Colemak and its flavours was all in the "dark arts" category.

    I'm busy with a major redo, will take a look at the fingering. The "home block" and "easy block" are defined on a hardware level rather than a layout level.
    That may need revising.

    Cheers, Ian

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    ksynwa said:

    Hi. I want to try out English Colemak with the wide mod-DH. (Sorry if the terminology is wrong. Please feel free to correct me.) My cheap new mechanical keyboard arrives in a couple days so I was working on setting up Colemak with said mod on my computer which runs Void Linux in the meanwhile.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KTouch

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