I was just reading this thread… https://sh.itjust.works/post/23476261
…and it got me thinking about something that I’ve wanted for a long time. Why is it that keyboards have not evolved to have dedicated copy/paste keys left of the main board? I’d love to see an additional column of keys left of Esc->Ctrl configurable as macros at least. I do a lot of copy/paste for work. The current shortcuts arent terrible or anything but they’re not exactly comfortable. I’d rather move my whole hand to the left for a macro key than contort to hit the current shortcut.
What do you think?
With 35 years of computer experience I can say that anything except Ctrl+Insert/Shift+Insert is worse.
By that I mean, we all need to adjust our brain to be fluent on which ever ecosystem we are currently logged on to, and become native users of key combos on all we use. I have used MacOS daily since 2004, and linux, Windows and DOS all longer than that. It takes practice, a lot of practice, but in the end I don’t even realize I sometimes use Ctrl+c, other times Cmd+c, and yet again Ctrl+Shift+c. It all comes naturally, by some miracle my brain knows which one to use. Granted, the DOS one I use so rarely these days I need a double take on the Ctrl+Insert. Last time was still around 6 hours ago today.
I guess what I’m saying is keep doing it, you’ll get there.
To paste in Linux:
Ctrl + shift + v
in terminal.Ctrl + u
in nano but nano doesn’t use the same copy buffer but you can also useCtrl + shift + v
but only to paste something copied from outside nano.To paste in vi(m)
:?!&///<¥₱!
Pretty much everywhere else, eg file manager, any GUI, browsers, etc. is
Ctrl +v
I also just love that it is beyond simple to create any key combo shortcut for absolutely anything on Linux.
Make that menu key work for the real estate it occupies.
In some terminals. urxvt for example just uses the selection buffer. And either is reasonable, because
Ctrl + C
to send sigterm predatesCtrl + C
to copy.Some terminals use weird combinations like Shift + Insert, which is ridiculous, because it requires me to take my right hand off the mouse to hit the insert key
Wut? Is this a joke that it’s difficult to paste in Vim? Because it’s literally just
p
.You do need to be in command mode, so alright, there is some complexity there, but you won’t get much closer to just a single key, as OP wants.