Re: [Orgmode] RSI

[B Smith-Mannschott]

On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 19:16, Daniel Martins<address@hidden> wrote:
> Ben,
>
> Please publish your .emacs configuration!
>
> Daniel

I think you've misunderstood. There's no emacs magic that makes what I
describe below work, It's all hardware and features built into my
various operating systems. (more below).

// Ben

> 2009/9/7 B Smith-Mannschott <address@hidden>
>>
>> A few tips from an emacs hand who has had issues with repetitive
>> strain in the past:
>>
>> The first thing I did after starting my first "real job" (years ago,
>> when my RSI was pretty bad and my employer-supplied keyboard was in
>> violation of the geneva conventions):
>>
>> 1. I got a kinesis contoured keyboard (like the "Kinesis Advantage"
>> I'm typing on now.) It places C- and M- (Alt key) under your thumbs.
>> (You could even assign them to foot pedals, though I never managed due
>> to lack of rhythm -- guess I should have taken drumming classes at
>> school.) The layout is completely programmable without additional
>> software. In short: it's the ultimate emacs keybaord.
>>
>> 2. More recently, I had a flare up (Apple's wireless mouse is the work
>> of the devil, for my hands at least.) It was then that I discovered
>> "Sticky Keys".
>>
>> Sticky keys takes some getting used to. It makes every modifier key
>> work a little like caps lock. Sounds horrible, doesn't it? Well, it's
>> not really. Basically, if you press control once, it "locks" control
>> down for the next keystroke only, after which point the keyboard
>> returns to normal. Press control twice, and it locks down until you
>> release it with a third press.
>>
>> C-x C-f
>>
>> Used to be: press and hold control. Press and release x. press and
>> release f. Release control.
>> Now it's Press and release control twice. Press and release x. press
>> and release f. Press and release control.
>>
>> This turns out to be easier on my hands because I don't find myself
>> contorting my hands across the keyboard while I try to hold down more
>> than one key at a time. I have sticky keys turned on on all my
>> computers, except for the one at work where I have the kinesis
>> keyboard.

I've found that recent versions of windows (XP and later, possibly
earlier too), Mac OS X and the Gnome Desktop all support some form of
"sticky keys". I found it buggy in in Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 but it
works reliably in 9.04.

[The specific problem is this: under 8.04 and 8.10 the option "disable
sticky keys if two keys are pressed together" doesn't work. clearing
this checkbox does not write through to the corresponding gnome
registry setting. Editing of said setting by hand is the workaround.
Also, attaching an external keyboard causes Gnome to forget that it's
supposed to be using sticky keys.]

>>  3. I've rebound caps lock to control on all my keyboards (apart from
>> the kinesis, where I have caps lock bound to the windows key.)

The ability to rebind caps to control is built into both Mac OS X and
Ubuntu (GNOME). In years past I've used a registry hack on windows to
achieve the same affect. I don't anymore because I use my Kinesis with
my windows machine and Kinesis does rebinding in hardware.

>> 4. I have a "happy hacking" keyboard, which has control where caps
>> lock is on an AT keyboard (and no caps key). The happy hacking
>> keyboard has the drawback that it has no right control key. (Sticky
>> keys helps here too.)
>>
>> // Ben
>>
>>
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