How To Avoid The Emacs Pinky Problem

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Emacs makes frequent use of the control key. On a conventional keyboard, the Control Key is at the lower left corner of the keyboard, usually not very large and is pressed by the pinky finger. For those who use emacs all day, this will result in repetitive strain injury. This page lists some tips on avoiding this pinky problem.

I've been using computer since 1991, at least 8 hours a day on average every singe day. I was a QWERTY touch-typist with 80 wpm and worked as a secretary for about 2 years, then in ~1994 i switched to Dvorak. I started to use emacs everyday since 1998. I am a keyboard and key macro nerd, and have used tens of keyboard macro or keymap type of utilities on the Mac, unixes, and Windows, always looking for the most ergonomic and efficient way to operate the keyboard and computer. (see: All About Keyboards, Keyboard Layouts, Shortcuts, Macros) This page summarize my experiences applied to emacs.

The best way to avoid the pinky problem is actually to use a good keyboard. Let us start with some tips on choosing a good keyboard.

Tips For Selecting A Computer Keyboard

• The Alt and Control key's positions on the left and right sides should have the same distance to your left and right thumbs (while your hands are rested in standard touch-type position). Specifically: the distance from the left Alt to the F key should be the same as the right Alt to the J key.

BAD

The Apple keyboard as of 2006. Note the ridiculous distance of the right side's modifier keys. It is not possible, to use the right thumb to press the alt key while the index finger remains on the J.

Many keyboards don't have full set of modifier keys on the right side, and when they do, they are positioned far to the right, making them not much usable for touch typing. For example, the keyboards made by Apple Computer, their right-side Command/Alt/Ctrl keys are inferior citizens. They are placed far more to the right, making the right set of modifier keys difficult or impossible to reach with the thumb. It makes these keys essentially decorative in nature. (Apple did this to make the keys flush at the lower right corner; sacrificing function for esthetics.).

GOOD

The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. The keys are split and oriented for each hand. The Ctrl and Alt are very large and symmetrically positioned with respect to each hand's thumb. (See: A Review of The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000.)

How To Press The Control Key

Use Your Palm or Semi-Fist

For most PC keyboards, it is very easy to press the control key using your palm. Just open your hand somewhat and push down with the meat at the chopping edge of your hand. Alternatively, you can roll your wrist a bit, curl in your fingers into a semi-fist, then sit your fist on the control key.

Use Both Hands

Use one hand to press Control, use the other hand to press the combination key. This is the same principle for pressing the Shift key in touch-typing.

When the key you want to press is on the left side of the keyboard, use the right side of Control key. For example, to press “Ctrl+a”, hold down the right Control with your right palm edge, and use your left hand to press “a”. Make this into a habit. Using a single hand to press “Ctrl+‹key›” combo usually means your hand needs to cram into a particular shape, thus putting stress on it when done repeatedly.

This is also why choosing a keyboard with Control keys positioned on both sides of the keyboard symmetrically, is important.

Software Ways To Avoid the Pinky Problem

A good keyboard and good typing habit is good. But suppose you are stuck with a lousy keyboard or your notebook computer. A notebook computer usually don't have control key on both sides of the keyboard. Its control key is very small, and it cannot be pressed by palm. Here are some suggestions for this situation.

Swap Control and Alt

Emacs's shortcuts are developed for Lisp Machine's keyboards of the 1980s. They have Control key near the space bar, and the Meta key further away from the space bar. So, Control key is the primary modifier key. However, today's keyboards have Alt instead of Meta, and the Control key is placed at the far corner. Emacs did not change its shortcuts. It simply mapped the Meta to Alt. That is why today, most frequently used keyboard shortcuts have the more difficult to press Control key instead of the Alt. For more detail on this and other aspects of emacs's shortcuts, see: Why Emacs's Keyboard Shortcuts Are Painful.

Swapping the Alt and Control key will make Emacs's keyboard shortcuts easier to use.

The other advantage of swapping Alt and Control, is that on Windows and Linuxes, most direct shortcuts involve the Ctrl key. By swapping, shortcuts are made easier too, because now Control is right under your thumb. See: How To Swap Caps Lock, Alt, Control Keys On Windows.

Swap Caps Lock and Control

Another commonly suggested solution is to remap the the Caps Lock and Control key by swapping them. This is not a optimal solution, because the Control key is still pressed by the pinky, and somewhat displaces your hand on home position. Also, there is now only one Control key, making the left pinky doing double work. (modifier keys comes in pairs for good reasons. Try pick out a Shift key and type for a week) However, if you are stuck on a lousy keyboard such as laptops, and unable to swap Ctrl and Alt, then making the Caps Lock key as Control might be a practical solution. (For detail, see: Why You Should Not Swap Caps Lock With Control)

Use a Ergonomic Shortcut Layout

Use Sticky Keys

On Windows, Mac, Linux, you can setup your OS so that Ctrl+‹key› can be pressed by pressing the Ctrl key then release it, then pressy the ‹key› key. For detail, see: http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/StickyModifiers.

Dvorak Keyboard Layout

Perhaps a more important ergonomic improvement one can make is by using the Dvorak keyboard layout.

I've been using Dvorak keyboard since 1994. It works beautifully with emacs. It makes typing more comfortable. (i use emacs since 1997).

To select Dvorak layout, on Windows, go to Control Panel, then “Regional and Language Options”. On Mac OS X, go to System Preference, International.