Adding terminal layout?

bhush9 commented 3 years ago

I wonder if it is possible to add a terminal layout with additional buttons like Ctrl/Alt/Esc etc?

jpetersen commented 3 years ago

Sure that would make sense.

bhush9 commented 3 years ago

@jpetersen do you have any hints on how this can be implemented? I am mostly not sure about how modifier keys would work..

mlowijs commented 2 years ago

Any more details on how to achieve this? I’m not sure where to start to make this happen but I’d love to help.

Inkbottle007 commented 2 years ago

As a proof of concept, cellwriter had an OSK that was doing wonder for that, as alternate input method to handwriting recognition, and also when using a terminal. I say had, because I use kwin-wayland, and I can't have the input actually sent to the terminal. I can compose it, but the terminal, or whatever app, can't see it, so pretty useless.

Inkbottle007 commented 2 years ago

Only solution I've found to be able to navigate the tablet-pc without repeatedly getting stuck and having to plug a keyboard, I switched to gnome, because I can use https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4413/improved-osk/. Linux applications are making use of keyboard shortcuts: Okular requires Ctrl+Shift+F to leave full-screen mode. If you can't do that, even closing it won't fix it, it will always open in full screen mode. The alternative is to use a full fledged mouse, but if you have one you probably also have a keyboard.

Warbo commented 1 year ago

Another OSK which provides modifier keys is Squeekboard, and an example application which makes heavy use of modifier keys is Emacs. I find Emacs + Squeekboard to work reasonably well on my phone's touchscreen; but Emacs + Maliit is basically unusable without Ctrl or Alt combinations.

lsitongia commented 1 year ago

I've just switched from Ubuntu/Gnome to Ubuntu/KDE/Plasma (Neon) in hopes of getting a better On Screen Keyboard (and get better auto-rotation on my Surface Go 2). I'd given up on the enhanced Gnome keyboard because I had to type slower on it. The Gnome OSK also treated shift as shift-lock and didn't unlock after one letter is typed. Anyway, there's room for more keys on my screen since it's a tablet. I wish someone would make a full keyboard a standard.

qlum commented 10 months ago

I would very much like that feature, operating linux without a keyboard it is very much a welcome feature. As for implementing it I would personally be in favor of a "system" layer which includes things like the arrow keys, f-keys and modifiers. Possibly adding ctrl to the default layout as it seems to be the most need.

callegar commented 8 months ago

A layout better reflecting a physical keyboard (ctrl, etc.) would definitely be appreciated, both to work with the terminal and to work with many applications that need users to employ shortcuts not available on an alphanumeric only keyboard.

there are many 2-in-1 devices out there, from the mighty Microsoft surface to the humble Chuwi Hi 10 X. All of them are more or less unusable with standard desktops without a keyboard attached unless something more close to a physical keyboard is made available as an OSK.
having a more complete virtual keyboard option would be useful not just for mobility, but also for accessibility.

Would be grateful if someone among the Maliit developers could help clarify the follwing points:

Is the lack of special keys something that could be worked around by defining a layout or something that needs modifications in core parts of maliit? Is it something related to maliit only or to the maliit + DE combination? Namely, has plasma something to do with this limitation?
Can XWayland applications be able to benefit from maliit? Currently, I see that they do not open maliit, but could maliit be force opened for them somehow?
Is there a more complete documentation than the one in maliit.github.io?

Thanks in advance to anyone who could address these questions!

urbenlegend commented 8 months ago

I hope that modifier keys and other normal keyboard features won't be limited strictly to terminal apps. I would love a more standard layout for all-purposes. Windows 11 has an advanced mode that offers the full keyboard layout and I love using it. Would be great to have it in maliit as well.

callegar commented 6 months ago

Looks like in the current situation every single application needs to add its own keyboard overlay when it needs a terminal layout. For instance Emacs 30 will do it. This seems rather unsatisfactory since it will lead to erratic support and inconsistent appearance and user experience.

parkerlreed commented 6 months ago

Looks like in the current situation every single application needs to add its own keyboard overlay when it needs a terminal layout. For instance Emacs 30 will do it. This seems rather unsatisfactory since it will lead to erratic support and inconsistent appearance and user experience.

How are you seeing the keyboard in emacs? Installed latest git but it doesn't seem to be Qt so keyboard doesn't get activated to begin with.

callegar commented 6 months ago

It is still not there, I have read on lwn that it is being added

TailsFanLOL commented 3 months ago

I am typing this on my new tablet rn and it's extremely annoying to retype the entire command from a single misspell due to lack of arrow keys and getting stuck in a text editor coz I can't Ctrl + S and Ctrl + Q.

parkerlreed commented 3 months ago

I am typing this on my new tablet rn and it's extremely annoying to retype the entire command from a single misspell due to lack of arrow keys and getting stuck in a text editor coz I can't Ctrl + S and Ctrl + Q.

Long hold space bar. This gives you a "touchpad" that acts as arrow keys when you drag it. Pretty precise.

urbenlegend commented 3 months ago

It's anything but precise tbh. I use the space bar trick to go back in my bash history and it is very difficult to select the right line. I would definitely prefer arrow keys (and just a proper keyboard layout in general) over the current design.

parkerlreed commented 3 months ago

I just meant precise as in the amount it moves is a linear progression with you finger movement, so you always go the same amount if you move the same distance. I can consistently go back in my history to where I expect just by varying how far I drag.

Compared to holding a button and timing, it feels much better.

But yes, a full layout is sorely needed.

TailsFanLOL commented 3 months ago

Long hold space bar. This gives you a "touchpad" that acts as arrow keys when you drag it. Pretty precise.

This is great! Still doesn't unstuck me from a text editor tho.

lsitongia commented 3 months ago

I've been surprised by the lack of a fully functional OSK (keyboard). I dual boot Ubuntu + Windows 10 or KDE Neon + Windows 10 on my Surface Go 2. None of the Linux OSK (during boot or when the OS is up multiuser) have cursor keys. In Windows, there are cursor and Ctrl keys. Obviously, the OSKs have the same real estate, on the same device. So, there's room for those additional keys, both in landscape and portrait. But, no Linux distribution or OSK has them. I have a smaller Android tablet. It has a full function keyboard. The space is there. Oh, well. I realize that it's not appropriate to ask developers to code something for me, but there are a lot of people who've requested this functionality.

TailsFanLOL commented 2 months ago

What I find interesting is that I can exit out of terminal apps using the "Copy" button in the cursor menu. So, it's definitely possible to implement all of the other combinations.

maliit / keyboard

Adding terminal layout? #20