Control Your Graphical Desktop from the Keyboard Using keynav
Productivity Sauce
Using the graphical desktop environment without the mouse might seem counter-productive, but try the keynav tool, and you'll see that the idea makes sense -- at least in certain situations. For example, when you don't have enough space to use the mouse, or the trackpad on your netbook or notebook is not really great, keynav can come in rather handy.
The way keynav works is pretty clever. When activated using the Ctrl+; keyboard shortcut, keynav splits the screen into four parts, and you use the keyboard keys to "zoom" on a specific area of the screen and then move the cursor to the center of the area. keynav supports the following keyboard shortcuts:
h selects the left half of the region
j selects the bottom half of the region
k selects the top half of the region
l selects the right half of the region
shift+h moves the region to the left
shift+j moves the region down
shift+k moves the region up
shift+l moves the region to the right
semicolon moves the mouse to the center of the selected region
spacebar moves the mouse and left-click
escape cancels the move
Getting to grips with keynav can take some time, but once you've mastered the basics, you can command your desktop without using the mouse.
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Hannah Montana Linux Is Back!
Developer Noah Cagle decided the world needed the once obscure but beloved Linux distribution and gave it a decidedly pink refresh.
-
System76 Refreshes the Lemur Laptop
If you're looking for a laptop with tons of power and battery, look no further than the latest iteration of the System76 Lemur Pro.
-
More than 43 Million Lines of Code in Linux Kernel 7.2
Using the cloc utility, Michael Larabel of Phoronix discovered that Linux kernel 7.2 has over 43 million lines of code.
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.
-
Linux Gamers May Soon See Less Mouse Lag in KDE Plasma
Gamers using KDE’s Plasma desktop have been suffering from a slight input delay in mouse movement that could lead to getting fragged.
-
Three Lines of Code Improve Linux Storage Performance
A developer changed three lines of code, giving Linux storage performance a 5% bump.
-
AUR Hit Again with Malicious Packages
Once again the Arch User Repository is plagued by a high volume of malicious packages.
-
Alpine Linux 3.24 Features Fresh Desktops and a Newer Kernel
If you're a fan of Alpine Linux, it's time to upgrade because the latest version has been released with KDE Plasma 6.6, Gnome 50, and Linux kernel 6.18 LTS.
-
EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
Comprehensive measures adopted by the European Commission aim to reduce dependency on non-EU countries.
-
Linux Foundation Report Indicates AI Driving Tech Hiring
Within growing security and skills gaps, AI has been found to be a positive driving force behind tech hiring trends in Europe.
