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    BigBag newbie needs help with initial setup

    • Started by Game9859
    • 1 Replies:
    • Reputation: 2
    • From: Poland
    • Registered: 13-Mar-2025
    • Posts: 12
    26-Jan-2026 11:23:39#1 BigBag newbie needs help with initial setup

    Hi,

    I finally got the time to sit-down and go all-in for the Dreymar's Big Bag but I have a lot of questions that I could not find an answer to. There is a lot of material to ingest and a lot of terms that I do not understand which make it difficult to dive in, but I've done my best to answer any questions I could have answered by reading on... by just reading on, or thinking on...

    Anyway, this post might be a little dump but I'll try to keep it structured.

    1. How to quickly switch between the layout I choose and the old layout in case I don't have the energy or focus to keep learning but have to get something done?
    2. Installing extend....

    There is mention of the way to install Extend on the README with the currently active layout.

    > To just get Extend with the currently active layout, use `setxkbmap -v 9 -option "" -option "misc:extend,lv5:caps_switch_lock,compose:menu"`.
    >
    > - The first `-option ""` clears any existing option settings, while the one with non-empty arguments add to existing options.


    So the way to get Extend on the layout I want is to install that layout, make it active (not sure what exactly this means) and run this command? Or, can extend be installed right away along with the layout, e.g `./setkb.sh "5caws pl us"`. How to add a flag to install Extend to the command?

    3. Yes, I do want the full BigBag experience. Extend defines some keyboard shortcuts. What about my shortcut definitions? Which take the priority on my system? Are these suggestions on how to best use the extend layout or are these mapped when I download the layout? Anyway...

    4. Is there any place where I can find definitions of many of the terms? Dreymar uses a lot of technical terms I have never seen before ):.

    Perhaps I should also read on xkb and how exactly that works on Linux?

    The keyboard shortcuts I refer to were defined here: https://dreymar.colemak.org/layers-extend.



    System:
Host: debian Kernel: 6.12.38+deb13-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.1 Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie)

    I hope my questions are clear.

    Please help, thanks!

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    • Reputation: 2
    • From: Poland
    • Registered: 13-Mar-2025
    • Posts: 12
    26-Jan-2026 12:51:15#2 Re: BigBag newbie needs help with initial setup

    Hi,


    Note: Perhaps it might be better answer this one question instead of answering a thousand different questions of mine.

    I used Colemak-DH fluently in the past but since now I use QWERTY because I use a laptop. I want the full BigBag experience with CAWS and Extend but don't want to mess up my old settings. What do I have to do? I am on Debian X11, so implementation is via xkb.



    I have read on and on and have a few more newbie questions...

    The section "## COLEMAK-DH ALIAS THE CURL ERGO MOD" is very, very confusing on https://dreymar.colemak.org/ergo-mods.html.

    I want the full BigBag experience with Colemak-DH. The install notes on this page seem to suggest that I should have installed Colemak-DH layout somehow first before running the install script for the BigBag.

    NOTE: These are ideal for most locale layouts, for instance. However, they overwrite and are overwritten by other layouts – even non-Colemak ones!

    What does overwritten mean here? What's the effect of the overwrite? Like, changed mappings, `P` is where I expect `E` all of a sudden, etc, or what?

    If you wish a "harder" solution, you can edit the xkb/symbols/colemak file, uncommenting the mod lines you want. 
    These are found in the xkb_symbols "cmk_ed_letters" partial, so they affect all locale layers, Tarmak etc. – but not non-Colemak layouts.

    What is a locale layer? Is this a xkb feature?

    If you wish a "harder" solution, you can edit the xkb/symbols/colemak file, uncommenting the mod lines you want. 
    These are found in the xkb_symbols "cmk_ed_letters" partial, so they affect all locale layers, Tarmak etc. – but not non-Colemak layouts.

    I want my OLD current layout to stay safe and untouched and have the option to revert to it easily anytime while I am still learning and tweaking BigBag in case something goes wrong or I just need to get something done.


    Please let me know if something is not clear. Any help is appreciated!

    Last edited by Game9859 (26-Jan-2026 12:51:33)
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