Mastodawn

Joana de Castro Arnaud

Does anyone know of a #text #editor, which runs in a #Linux #terminal, and uses only the characters: lowercase a-z, 0-9, comma, and period, in commands?

I want such an editor to ease my life on #Termux in Android, because these characters are the only ones immediately accessible on a standard Samsung keyboard, without the use of symbol keys.

And no, #vim doesn't fit the bill, because it needs Esc, ":" and "$"; #emacs and #nano are out because of the Ctrl and Alt keys, conspicously absent from mobile keyboards.

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

Thank you all for the helpful answers!

Most answers were in one of these two categories:

- Configure vim/emacs to use different keyboard shortcuts;
- Use a different Android screen keyboard.

I will give Hacker's Keyboard another try: I've got new reading glasses since the last time I used it.

And I will try to make time to learn to *actually* use vim and emacs, not just stumble around them (I do know how to exit vim, I'm not *that* clueless).

Omar Antolín Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud Emacs doesn't need Ctrl and Alt. It does use them by default, but only by default: you can configure it however you want! Check out the devil package, for example, as a way to avoid Ctrl and Alt.

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@oantolin Thanks! Since I'm not familiar with emacs (only know its fame), I didn't expect that it was that configurable.

Now, to make time to learn emacs... [sigh]

Gabriel Pettier Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud maybe there are still reasons to look for something else, but you can remap keys in vim, it's common to map jj to esq in vimrc

inoremap jj <esc>
cnoremap jj <esc>
vnoremap jj <esc>
edit: the vnoremap is probably not a good idea

you could use comma for :

nnoremap , :
vnoremap , :

it's slightly sad to lose , but you are losing a lot already with such a keyboard anyway.

$ is also sad, but not essential, especially if you have an <end> key

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@tshirtman Nice to know these key remaps, thanks!

Now, to familiarize myself with vim... [sigh]

Unfortunately, the default Samsung mobile keyboard has the End key at two taps of distance (one change of screen and one for the key), and not labeled as such.

Likewise, both "^" and "$" require tapping the "!#1" key first.

I considered developing a text editor for my tastes, myself, but my backlog of interesting projects is already too long.

Tonus Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud
You can remap in #emacs or install a customizable keyboard.

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@Tonus @tshirtman Someone elsethread suggested the same, thanks.

Tyler Crenshaw Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud are you tied to the default Samsung keyboard for some reason? Unexpected Keyboard is my go to android keyboard for termux tinkering

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@tdcrenshaw Not really. I tested various keyboards for some time, but went back to the default one.

I dismissed Unexpected Keyboard because I almost can't see the small letters on the key corners, and have low precision on swiping: wrong key almost always.

At home, I use an full-featured USB keyboard. For some time, I used Hacker's Keyboard, that does have Ctrl, Alt and Esc, but the keys are tiny: not worth the increased error rate on typing.

Omar Antolín Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud Also, on some mobile OSes such as Android, you can install a different keyboard that does have Ctrl and Alt keys.

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@oantolin I used Hacker's Keyboard for some time; it has all the required keys. But the keys are necessarily tiny, and my eyes and finger coordination aren't the best; the error rate while typing made me go back to the default keyboard.

Omar Antolín Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud Fair enough.

Mark Crocker Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud I use the The #UnexpectedKeyboard https://f-droid.org/packages/juloo.keyboard2/ with the #Emacs app. I also keep the the #HackersKeyboard https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard/ around.

Unexpected Keyboard | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

Lightweight and privacy-conscious virtual keyboard for Android.

𝕄𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕥 Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud
You did not asked for it but I could recommend:

https://f-droid.org/packages/juloo.keyboard2
With "Unexpected Keyboard" in Termux I have aditional keys available. Like ESC, End, ALT, CTRL, ...

And on this page:
https://unexpected-keyboard-layout-editor.lixquid.com/
You could setup your own Keyboard including special keys.

Unexpected Keyboard | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

Lightweight and privacy-conscious virtual keyboard for Android.

abstractsun Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud YMMV but I have found that defining a custom extra-keys in ~/.termux/termux.properties has made Termux usable enough for me with a few key applications using the default keybinds, especially with the "popup" modifier.. It even supports modifier keys like CTRL, ALT, SHIFT.

https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Terminal_Settings

Although I do find myself reaching for standalone apps for a few use cases. Shared storage comes in handy for that. See also termux-setup-storage .

Terminal Settings - Termux Wiki

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@abstractsun I've got these terminal settings; it's the only way I can use the "micro" editor at all (it has Windows-style keyboard shortcuts, a win for me). But there is still friction: the mental shift of "changing keyboards" to reach Ctrl or Esc or Alt or "/".

And termux-setup-storage is an old friend. Having my files manageable by a file manager in Android, *and* using Git within termux, is the best of both worlds.

Chroohn Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud There is a replacement for the standart keyboard on android and well ... its called hackers keyboard. It has a much better layout.

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@chrooohn I've used it for some time. See my other replies.

Chroohn Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud And i did not find an easyer to use editor on termux myself than vim so far.

Frank Abelbeck Apr 20, 2025

@jcastroarnaud Well, my Termux version displays control keys above the device's own keyboard. 🤷

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@frank Mine too, but there's still the mental shift of "changing keyboards".

I'm a lazy gal about typing, I admit. It's not worse because I'm a fairly fast typist in physical keyboards.

Crandel 🇺🇦

@jcastroarnaud I use thumb-key keyboard with Ctrl and Alt

Joana de Castro Arnaud Apr 20, 2025

@crandel My swiping skills are next to nonexistent: I would have a hard time hitting the right places on the keys.