You have my attention.
this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2025
159 points (96.0% liked)
Linux
57483 readers
448 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
Didn't think I'd make it this far, don't know what to say lol
Do you, by some chance, write in any language that requires non-ASCII characters? (Such as ñ in Spanish.)
You can apparently touch-type non-ASCII characters with Clicks on IOS, I'm wondering if it works similarly on Android.
My phone died last week, and I was very tempted by the Razr with Clicks, but I haven't seen much about using it outside English. In the end I went cheap and bought a Pixel 9A :(
Touch keyboards suck, but double so if you type in multiple languages, need non-ASCII, and on top of that you want to use shells. GBoard is not bad at detecting the three languages I regularly type in, but my BlackBerries were superior.
On Gboard you can change settings to hold a character down and choose one of their non ASCII versions, as well as changing the language on your keyboard settings (but that's messy), as well as using keymapper. Since you're on pixel now, I heavily recommend using GrapheneOS.org . You will thank me later. If you have any questions let me know.
long / 10
I like the idea of a physical keyboard, but I hate the idea of making my phone even bigger
May I interest you in a mechanical BT kbd? I use the same on my phone (when traveling) and my desktop, great experience.
(model if curious : Corne-ish Zen with my keymap)
Yeah, I'd be fine with thicker, but not longer. If this slid out when you needed it then I'd be up for it.
It looks so cool though. Trust me when you have it on you feel the power.
I wish physical keyboards would come back. I suck at touchscreen ones
I used to hate touchscreen keyboards, but then I learned about swipe-to-text. Now I can swipe words on a digital keyboard faster than I can type them on a physical keyboard. I can't go back to pressing individual keys now unless it's on a desktop computer keyboard.
I use swipe too, but it often gives me the wrong words, and I have to manually type what I want. Also, it only works for dictionary words.
I mentioned in another comment that I'm using Gboard, which is Google's POS keyboard. It's not great (and I'm looking for better replacements currently), but it does learn words if you swipe them 3 or more times in a short time.
I have a unique first and last name that never pop up in dictionary words or common name lists, and Gboard swipes them for me now, because I've used them enough times in typing and fixed their attempt at autocorrecting it. Or if it mis-reads my swiped name, it's usually one of the suggested corrections across the top of the keyboard.
I really don't like Gboard, but it's been the best I've found lately, so I always install it on new phones and tablets as soon as I get them. I'm getting suggestions in another comment thread here for viable FOSS replacements, so I'll need to test those out.
Pretty sure Gboard purposely disables the superior replacements/suggestions if you do not agree with sharing data aka your keystrokes. Speaks a lot about it.
Started using Swype in 2011 or so. Been using swiping input ever since
Still annoyed that it was discontinued. Its usability, keyboard layout and spelling detection was so much better than what the android keyboard offers
RIP Swype
Swype Gang for life. I remember being so stoked to get in the beta.
Smartphones used to be cool.
I've been using Gboard, Google's keyboard. I don't like it and am currently trying to de-Google my life, but I haven't found a better swipe-to-text keyboard yet.
You'd think it would be easy to replace Gboard. Ever since Google started inserting AI into everything, half my words don't swipe correctly, or they'll give corrective suggestions on the top bar that are way off the mark. It was way better about 5 years ago. But it seems most keyboards are also using AI to predict swiping, so I can't find any that work better at the moment.
Check out heliboard. Open source, private, and is pottery ready to setup with glide typing using gboard's module
Swiping with Heliboard is very frustrating. In my native language, I have to rewrite 50% of the words. I've never managed to make it write "c'est" for example.
A good FOSS one is FUTO, which works better than Gboard I think for swipe texting. You can also do it with Heliboard (truly FOSS) if you import a library for it, which is also what I use. Let me know if you need help!
It's not FOSS https://isitreallyfoss.com/projects/futo-keyboard/ they themselves call it "source first"
Thanks! I made a reply addressing that error as well. Appreciate the source as well.
I was gonna say, I love Futo keyboard, and use it quite happily, but it's worth remembering that it's source available rather than open source
Still a great project though! I'm typing on it right now :)
Yes, I'm aware of their weird licensing but didn't want to go down a rabbit hole on what they claim vs what the consensus is. I did try to squeeze in that heliboard was "truly FOSS" to help specify in a minor manner what solution is best.
I'm happy you're here keeping me honest!
I can't figure swip texting lol. The perk of physical keys is I don't have to even look at the phone to type. I can turn text-speech on use the bumps on the keyboard
I swipe type without looking at the keys.
ThumbKey made the difference for me. Completely new way to define touchscreen keyboards, but after some months now, I can type blindly on a touchscreen 👍. Caveat: in the beginning typing will be very, very slow.
I e mainly switched to dictation, but I wish there was an elegant solution to add a physical keyboard
Exectly my thoughts recently! My smartphone is starting to show some problems with its screen and it's a Xiaomi device which makes it very hard/unpleasant to get root access to reinstall the OS (you have to download a windows app and use it to share your data and reasons for voiding your contract by asking to get root access) so I thought maybe there are non-touchscreen smartphones and when I tried looking for one I only got dumb phone suggestions and I realized that such a phone would have to have a specific version of Android that is not designed around touchscreen technology. I'm not sure what I want, but the options seem to be polar extremes without a middle ground option, something between a smartphone and a dumbphone that will be helpful in detoxifying from doom scrolling and yet still usable for productive activities.
I really hope that in the near future we'll see some change in the direction towards smartphones that are not made only for watching videos, playing games, but to some combinations of useful ideas from both dumb and smartphones, like having a decent screen to be able to use maps and with also a "mechanical" keyboard or smth. But then again physical keys will have problems like if they would be made from cheap plastic, there always will be downsides...
Like my beloved Nokia N900 and my current Pixel 6 had a bastard love child and I am all about it.
💀
Are physical keyboards like that really even faster? I would just buy a split 40% keyboard and out one in each of my pockets before I would do this tbh.
If you have been texting on a touch screen phone screen for about 10 years like many of the younger generations, I would say no. However people still get about 60 wpm or more on this. I've gotten faster on the keyboard case but still think I'm faster on touchscreen
Charge your damn battery ffs
No. He just throws it away when the battery dies and gets a new phone.
FFS.
Sorry, right away! Haha
I've seen mixed reviews for the keyboard. How is it?
It takes some used to. I like it but you need to run proprietary software to make it usable (in my opinion.) So far only Gboard and SwiftKey work well enough with it, and I don't mind too much since I run GrapheneOS. I actually love it besides not being able to use wired headphones at the same time.
Moto Droid vibes
I’ve only seen that kind of keyboard for iPhone; what model is this?
Screen cuts off at "Google Pixel 9 Po". So clearly the model is Potato.
Google Pixel 9 Pofessional. It's the slightly cheaper version, on account that it got a little burned at the factory.
$139 lol smdh
This is clicks.tech for pixel 9 pro