/karabiner-config-engram

Primary LanguageTypeScript

Archived 2/1/2024 It is preferrable to use kmonad.

Engram Config for Karabiner

(Vanilla) Engram layout.

[{  1|  2=  3~  4+   5<   6>   7^  8&  9%  0*  ]}  
    bB  yY  oO  uU   '(   ")   lL  dD  wW  vV  zZ  #$  @`
   ⌃cC ⌥iI ⌘eE ⇧aA   ,;   .:  ⇧hH ⌘tT ⌥sS ⌃nN  qQ  
    gG  xX  jJ  kK   -_   ?!   rR  mM  fF  pP  /\
         ⌫              ␣           ⏎

Engrammer layout.

`~ 1!  2@  3#  4$  5%  6^   7&  8*  9(  0)  [{  ]}
   bB  yY  oO  uU  '"  ;:   lL  dD  wW  vV  zZ  =+  \|
  ⌃cC ⌥iI ⌘eE ⇧aA  ,<  .>  ⇧hH ⌘tT ⌥sS ⌃nN  qQ  
   gG  xX  jJ  kK  -_  /?   rR  mM  fF  pP
        ⌫             ␣           ⏎

When this repo began, I was using the vanilla Engram layout. As I progressed, I realized that typing JavaScript in particular was very uncomfortable. Reaching up to the angle brackets (<>) was nearly impossible for my stubby hobbit fingers. I was also not enjoying having parethesis on the center column, despite the visual symmetry seeming nice in my mind--I couldn't get a roll out of them and I often type them together for arrow functions. () => {}

While there are always compromises, I ultimately found the Engrammer variant to be much more natural for punctuation. I rarely type @ for emails since they usually are links or autocomplete, and I don't really type # very much since I usually use the editor shortcut for comments. I felt my hands make a sigh of relief when they got an unshifted = back, though. Engrammer also had the benefits of the symbols being of the right keys on my laptop keyboard, and being simpler to configure in Karabiner.

Project includes Karabiner.ts config, as well as a Goku config.

Home Row Mods are working better in the Karabiner.ts config than the Goku one. (They're configured as simlayers in the Karabiner.ts version.) Karabiner.ts also 🏃🏻‍♂️s 53 times faster--73.6ms vs. 3.947s.

The command keys are set to work more like they do on a mech ergo board.

Currently, Home Row Mods work only one at a time, but hoping to get that sorted shortly. 🤓

Karabiner still has some shortcomings. It seems like no matter how it's configured, typing rhythm isn't as natural with Karabiner as it is with timeless Home Row Mods in zmk using below config.

hrml: home_row_mod_left {
    compatible = "zmk,behavior-hold-tap";
    label = "HOME_ROW_MOD_LEFT";
    #binding-cells = <2>;
    flavor = "balanced";
    tapping-term-ms = <HM_TAPPING_TERM>;
    hold-trigger-key-positions = < KEYS_R THUMBS >;
    hold-trigger-on-release;
    bindings = <&kp>, <&kp>;
    };

Installing

Karabiner.ts

  1. Clone this repo.
  2. Create a profile in Karabiner called 'karabiner.ts'.
  3. Run deno task sim in the repo directory to use the Engram layout (Engrammer punctuation placement) with simlayers. This allows only one home row mod to be used at once, though they may still be paired with traditional mods. Run deno task full to create a layout that allows full combinations of all home row meds.

Goku

  1. Clone this repository.
  2. Create a profile in Karabiner called 'goku'.
  3. Install Goku brew install yqrashawn/goku/goku.
  4. From the repo directory, copy the config file to your .config directory cp karabiner.edn ~/.config.
  5. Run Goku goku