this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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Just for fun: roast my work / play setup (alien.top)
submitted 1 year ago by thephatmaster@alien.top to c/emacs@communick.news
38 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

So after my struggles getting this setup going I'm really enjoying this setup.

Thought I'd post here as there is quite a bit of intersectionality between the emacs, Arch, Steamdeck, Nix and Mechboards communities.

Spec as follows:

  1. Steamdeck (LCD);
  2. SteamOS 3.5 Preview (Arch based and compatible with Nix packages);
  3. Emacs 29 (via Nix package);
  4. DooM config + some tweaks of my own; and
  5. Corne Light v2 with random DSA caps.

Ambitions for this setup are:

  1. Better emacs-fu (thanks to everyone here with their help so far);
  2. RGB underglow on the keyboard for 90s vibes;
  3. Printed keycaps in jazzy colours;
  4. Better keymap (maybe Miryoku or something with homerow mods)
top 38 comments
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[–] ohNacho@alien.top 3 points 1 year ago

Pure perfection sir

[–] phantom_rift@alien.top 2 points 1 year ago

my nearsighted ass would get so much eye strain :’)

very creative setup though

[–] nv-elisp@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

RGB underglow... 90s vibe

Were you alive in the 90s?

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes I was - and I didn't have a disposable income back then, so I'm making up for that now

As a kid I (materialistically) marvelled at things like shiny game consoles with brightly coloured see through cases

[–] nv-elisp@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

RGB lit crap wasn't the norm in the 90s. Especially keyboards.

[–] darudesandstrom@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nah, it's pretty cool. My eyes and back hurt just looking at this setup though.

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You know what, I was set-up in a tea room for 2hrs doing some life-admin (org-mode) and:

  1. A lot of M-x text-scale-increase occurred - and I had to put my glasses on; and
  2. Can confirm now have a slightly sore lower back
[–] scaptal@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Potentiom other mod, a 3d printed stand/harness which goes around the shoulders and extends to hold the deck, for less backpain.

(Some 3d printed special parts, aluminium rods and some straps might be able to create a decent contraption that can be dismantled easily into a small footprint)

[–] Ok_Advisor1053@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I don't understand keyboards this small. I need fn, number, arrow keys. home, end pg up/down etc are useful too in office software.

I'm sure that you have some special map that activates numbers, but that's a "no thank you" from me, a number key enjoyer..

[–] TremulousTones@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I have a smaller size keyboard too, and I have to say I do really enjoy pressing a left thumb button to turn the keys below my right hand into a numpad. A different button makes the keys under my right hand into the arrow keys with page up, down, home, end. I like not having to move my hands on and off the home row so much.

[–] emuuu@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

It's to limit how far you have to reach. I find I can type long strings of numbers more accurately if they're on the home row behind a modifier.

[–] DeinOnkelFred@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This board is for you: https://keymacs.com/

[–] Falcomomo@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

That looks cool

What the hell is that price

[–] Falcomomo@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I was the same, started with a full size keyboard and needed everything. Then went to a 70% and dropped the numpad. Then recently dropped the F keys. Now I have a num row but don't use it and use layers instead. Latest is going to the home row mods someone else described - never thought I'd find them ok but it's actually easy to get used to.

Having layers for special keys is the main game changer, it's so much quicker for coding. Underscore, dash, quotes, brackets/parens, all just where you want them to be.

[–] Nurahk@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

you use modifier keys to access those keyboard functions, much like how in emacs holding the control and pressing F can substitute a right arrow key. just imagine it like having a few more control keys with different functions assigned to them.

it becomes second nature pretty quickly.

[–] centzon400@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Have you tried taking that on a plane?

[–] katzefrettchen@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Do you purchase parts separately to assemble such a keyboard?

I found the github repo of Corne, but there are no instructions for complete noobs

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I bought mine built (see mechmarket or a discord for your country)

They don't look difficult to build, and there are various places where $100 - $200 will get you a built one

[–] Falcomomo@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Elite tier.

We love to see it.

[–] erez@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My word. That's one hell of a cargo-cult maker mindset gone insane. And if you plan on using that for work, oh well. You don't want "roast", you want confirmation in the sense of suggestions for improvement.

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

100% cargo cult / "I use Arch linux" mindset

I'm an office worker who is way more productive in Office365 than emacs. And for that purpose OneNote poops all over org.

That said, for home-life orgaisation and project tracking, org works pretty well for me.

Setup suggestions are totally welcome, I do run emacs on all my devices.

[–] paretoOptimalDev@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm an office worker who is way more productive in Office365 than emacs. And for that purpose OneNote poops all over org.

That said, for home-life orgaisation and project tracking, org works pretty well for me.

I'd be super interested to hear why you're more productive in onenote given you presumably have experience with both org and one note.

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I'll do my best to explain.

I have given work presentations using org / reveal.js, and taken conference notes in org, but in a nutshell I find OneNote just easier to use and more flexible in a Windows / knowledge work environment:

I have 3 or so years experience using org (daily on Android, weekly in emacs), and 5+ with OneNote. I learned OneNote when I learned GTD, and org came later.

So I do have greater experience with OneNote, and find it does much of what org does (tags, todo / calendar tasks). A lot of the features are comparable.

I heavily use "find tags" in OneNote, to find todo, awaiting etc tasks from among my projects and find that an effective tag-based search. It's not an org-agenda replacement, but

In my work environment OneNote does a few things out the box my current org setup doesnt:

  • Is installed by default on pretty much any knowledge workers work machine, no admin requests etc required;

  • Integrates with O365, so I can:

    • add tasks to Outlook and easily send / assign them to others in Planner;
    • deal directly with Outlook / exchange items (most of my inputs and outputs are email or pdf);
    • add a OneNote note to any MS Team

  • Accepts any input and will display it WYSWIG. So I can treat each project as a page, and dump documents in there (either embedded or "printed"), screenshots, diagrams etc, in whatever way I need to - and even scribble all over that with diagrams, arrows etc using a windows ink pen. All the while using tags to give context to items;

  • as a result of the above, OneNote allows a note to be very flexibly formatted. Many of mine are 2 columns:

    • the first a table containing a running timeline of actions (with or without embedded emails / pdfs etc); and
    • the second various documents, parts of documents, screenshots / drawings etc - displayed right there, not a link away.

That said I've had WSLg a week or so now, and that level of integration between emacs and Windows is really nice, so things might change.

I hope that helps explain - if I'm doing things in ON that org could do for me with a setup change I'm all for learning how

[–] fuzzbomb23@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Aren't those XDA profile keycaps?

I love how "ESC" and "CTRL" are quoted.

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Hmmmmm maybe they are XDA, I don't have both types around to compare

[–] seaborgiumaggghhh@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I tried to setup a keyboard like that where it was programmed through QMK to do have taps be one key and hold do another etc, but I couldn’t stand the latency. So good on you for making it work

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I haven't tried that config (holds for homerow mods yet) so will have to keep latency in mind

[–] WallyMetropolis@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Oh man, if you had this connected to your primary monitors and used it just for the minibar and completion results and such, somehow, that would be incredible.

[–] DontShowYourBack@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I’m jealous

[–] shizzy0@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Pretty awesome actually.

[–] uniteduniverse@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that keyboard comfortable?

[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep, it's way more adjustable for comfort than a non-split like my K8 - and thumb keys avoid too much pinkie stretching

[–] uniteduniverse@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah I already know about ergo keyboads. I was just wondering about this one specifically, as it looks kind of goofy lol. Anyway thanks for the info.

[–] p4r24k@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Nah, dude is not using dvorak

[–] kr44ng@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

In RMS voice: Is Steam-oss a fully free distro?

[–] invsblduck@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm proud of you for:

  1. Tying these disciplines together.

I'm never really sure how many other people participate in all these interests. I am a Linux hacker of 25 years and mechanical keyboard enthusiast of at least 20 years (currently type on a 5x7 Dactyl-Manuform that mimics an ErgoDox, but just acquired a Svalboard), and I work deeply Emacs every day. Historically I loved installing Linux or NetBSD on all things, whether a Palm Pilot or first-gen Xbox; these days, it runs on my "phone" (mobile computer), my TV, my Wi-Fi access points, etc.

  1. Taking a beating in comments for your playful curiosity and achievement, but keeping your head up and being really graceful about it.
[–] thephatmaster@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Lol, I started with ipodlinux. That Svalboard looks great.

Kudos for working deeply in emacs every day - I've been an occasional user (weekly / monthly) for 2+ years. I feel like I google / M-x more than I actually work. Many a time I've felt like quitting.

WSLg will hopefully change that, at least in the office.

About the comments, I think people have been OK on the whole - I was expecting far more actual hate

[–] chandaliergalaxy@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Placement of Controls is nice but where is Meta?