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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Any APIs or apps that allow for complete keyboard navigation OS-wide, including inside apps (self.linux)

submitted 3 weeks ago by TheTwelveYearOld to c/[email protected]

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

macOS has a variety of apps like Homerow, Shortcat, and KindaVim (watch the videos in those links if u can) that allow for navigation of apps using just the keyboard. Homerow allows for pressing a hotkey and then showing letters over UI elements which can be entered to move the mouse to said element, similar to the Vim easymotion plugin. KindaVim attempts to implement vim modal navigation inside GUI apps, so you can enter normal or visual mode and use j and k to move up or down. They all work using macOS' accessibility API which exposes UI elements for programmatic interaction.

I did a bunch of searches for Linux equivalent of such apps and Mac's accessibility API, and didn't find anything as comprehensive. Can you navigate a wide variety of Linux apps using mostly or only the keyboard (apps made with GTK, Electron, etc.)? Is it currently possible to develop an equivalent of the apps listed above?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Answering this very question using Tridactyl for Firefox.

It's not OS-wide but I spend so much time switching from browser to terminal, it might as well be.

https://tridactyl.xyz/build/static/docs/modules/_src_excmds_.html

Also for the keyboard itself I use a Corne-ish Zen, which allows me to use ZMK and thus have my own keymap https://github.com/Utopiah/zmk-config-zen-2/blob/main/config/corneish_zen.keymap

I use KDE which with Super+T brings up tiling options.

Regarding the "API" aspect, a trick I used few times to be able to remote control a desktop in VR is xdotool but it's honestly quite tedious. Without some accessibility solution implemented in apps themselves, I doubt it's reliable.