More useful terminal key layout for phosh's squeekboard

[Boern]

I didn't like how I had to switch to numbers or functions to press numbers or the tab key, respectively. So I changed the terminal layout a bit. Numbers are now available at the top and at the bottom are tab and the arrow keys. Switching the view reveals del, escape, home, end, pgup and pgdown. The keys are now a little bit smaller but I think they are still easy enough to hit. I based it off of the German layout and added the F-keys to the umlaut-view.

Only thing missing are the modifier keys. Unfortunately they need a new squeekboard version to properly work.

Just add the file terminal.yaml to the directory ~/.local/share/squeekboard/keyboards/ (create if necessary) and it should be picked up for the terminal layout.

For the modifier keys (Ctrl and Alt) to work you need at least squeekboard 1.9.1. As of now I think only Debian phosh has that version.

[nas]

The keys are a little short for my fingers but I can see how more buttons could be handy. A side effect of moving the space bar is less accidental task switcher presses - it's one way to deal with that design flaw.

I enter most input on my other phone via a ssh app - much smaller screen but layout works very well.


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[Boern]

Yeah, it's a shame that we can't make squeekboard taller.

[newton688]

I'm trying out your recipe by copying the terminal.yaml to my ~/.local/share/squeekboard/keyboards but it doesn't seem to show up in my keyboard. I've tried rebooting the phone to restart squeekboard, but it still seems to be the same. Maybe I'm missing something obvious? I'm on debian+phosh at the moment and it's the version from last week.

I wonder if I can get cut/copy/paste into the keyboard somehow via ctrl-x, ctrl-c and ctrl-v somehow. That would really accelerate some of my workflows.

Thanks!

[Boern]

You have to select "terminal" by clicking on the small globe thingy.

[newton688]

You have to select "terminal" by clicking on the small globe thingy.

Thanks, when I select the globe and then "terminal" it looks the same as I had for the terminal mode when I installed the OS. It seems to be no different. I had renamed the file to terminal2.yaml but it didn't seem to add another item in the globe menu.

[Boern]

I think to add completely new keyboards you have to recompile squeekboard.

[nas]

Thanks, when I select the globe and then "terminal" it looks the same as I had for the terminal mode when I installed the OS. It seems to be no different. I had renamed the file to terminal2.yaml but it didn't seem to add another item in the globe menu.

Rename it to terminal.yaml to make it work. It replaces the keyboard rather than giving you more menu options.

[newton688]

Thanks, when I select the globe and then "terminal" it looks the same as I had for the terminal mode when I installed the OS. It seems to be no different. I had renamed the file to terminal2.yaml but it didn't seem to add another item in the globe menu.

Rename it to terminal.yaml to make it work. It replaces the keyboard rather than giving you more menu options.

Thank you, this worked fine. I can see the new keyboard now.

Do you know if you can put key sequences in there like Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V?

[nas]

Do you know if you can put key sequences in there like Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V?

It was on purism's to-do list about a month ago.