Re: [RP] mouse stuff (you guys are gonna kill me for this one)

[Justis Peters]

Shawn Betts address@hidden wrote:
> Hi fist_187,
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions. It's true that today, it is convenient
> sometimes to use the pointer. But in the end it's because you're used
> to or you're using an application that demands that you use the
> pointer. Mozilla is aweful for that.
Mozilla could stand to do better, but it's the websites that truly make 
keyboard navigation difficult.  We're never going to be able to control the 
websites.  The worst offenders are portal sites and sites that act like an 
application or include java applets or javascript menus.

Please, my fellow ratless friends, accept that in some circumstances, the mouse 
is going to be necessary.
> 
> One of the big problems (as I see it) and something ratpoison tried to
> help is the constant switching between keyboard and pointer. If you're
> using nothing but the keyboard you can do stuff damn fast but as soon
> as you switch to the pointer you start slowing down.
> 
> As for the frames, do you know about fselect? It allows you to select
> frames by number. That might help.
> 
> What I don't understand about these pointer clicks is that you have to
> press C-t first and then move back to the mouse. Since you're on the
> kbd for the C-t, why not stay there? Wouldn't it be faster?
If I already have my hand on the mouse, why can't I just click in the frame?  
It's still faster than moving my hand to the keyboard and using fselect, 
particularly if the application I am switching to requires the mouse.
> 
> I think what the ratless community really desperately needs is a kbd
> only graphical web-browser. I know web is evil and it sucks but
> unfortunately, just about everyone uses it...
"links" (not "lynx") works really well for me.  I use it for all my javadoc 
browsing.  The best thing about it is that you can do everything with the 
keyboard, but you can grab the mouse and point at something if it's too many 
keystrokes to get to where you need to.

There are probably lots of other browsers that are good for us keyboard 
addicts.  Still, though, none of them will eliminate the need for a mouse.  
There are sometimes when a mouse is just a preferrable input device (please 
don't call me a heretic for saying that).

For example, let's say I'm drawing something in a paint program.  Maybe I have 
two windows open, and I am selecting a graphical area from one and pasting it 
into the background of my drawing.  I would be hard pressed to say that the 
keyboard is a better tool for that.

Please, please, please consider putting in just some very basic mouse features. 
 90% of the time, I use the keyboard.  I live for vim, bash, psql, and 
ratpoison.  Even the music I listen to is controlled through the console.  BUT 
there are occasions when I have to use the gimp or mozilla, etc.  I don't want 
to throw away my mouse; I just want a window manager that caters to keyboard 
controls.

Does anybody else agree?
> 
> Ryan and I talked about patching mozilla to include numbered links ala
> lynx. I think this is the way to do it for keyboard only control. For
> pictures perhaps you'd have a number in the upper left corner or
> something. I think Ryan got w3m-el working with some preliminary
> numbered links.
> 
> Shawn
> 
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
> Welcome to geek heaven.
> http://thinkgeek.com/sf
> _______________________________________________
> Ratpoison-devel mailing list
> address@hidden
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ratpoison-devel