I want to improve my touch typing skills on Linux. I’m curious:

  1. What tool or program would you recommend for learning touch typing on Linux?
  2. For someone whose native language isn’t English, would you recommend learning on their native keyboard layout or switching to the US QWERTY layout for programming purposes?
  • HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org
    4·
    1 day ago
    1. TIPP10 is nice.
    2. I’d select that depending on what you will type most. Myself, I am German and I use UK international because it is nicer for programming. But that is also because I lived and worked in the UK for a while. Other keyboard layouts good for that might be e.g. Canadian ones. Wikipedia has a good overview on options. You can also look at NEO. Generally, there is a balance between “easily typing the native language”, “easily typing programming symbols”, and “easily typing specific other languages”. Fully general layouts will make the stuff you type often slower. Try to make a solid choice, then stick to it.

    Aspects you might want to consider are:

    • it might be that you need to use different computers e.g. at work. Some standard layout is nicer then.
    • You can type all kinds of fancy symbols using the .XCompose method and IMO this is the better way
    • When you are programming, typing speed normally doesn’t matter. Really. The key most frequently used will always be backspace. This also means that learning Dvorak and such is usually a pure waste of time. But touch-typing can help because it frees your attention (a bit).
    • Switching between keyboard layouts and keyboards always causes friction. Better stick to one.