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Halmak Keyboard Layout

This is an AI designed keyboard layout that was built within the keyboard-genetics project. More details and a documented process can be found on the blog Nikolay Rocks.

Keyboard Layout

Features

  • Build based on the real world hand movements analysis
  • Nearly maximal possible typing efficiency
  • Very low overall fingers movement distance
  • Very low same finger / same hand usage overheads
  • Very low overall horizontal hands movement
  • Highly symmetrical design that accounts for individual fingers strength
  • Designed with the modern, web based English in mind

Comparisons

During the research I've identified the following results: in terms of efficiency

  • QWERTY - 0% (baseline)
  • Dvorak - +77%
  • Colemak - +84%
  • Workman - +101%
  • Halmak - +134%

Please refer to the article Halmak Reborn for the more detailed breakdown of the results.

All scripts are opensourced and can be verified in the keyboard-genetics repository.

The Name

The name is a combination of HAL-9000, as a reference to the layout being designed by an AI. And, Dvorak as a gratitude to Mr. Dvorak for his dedication to the layouts optimizations process. The letter m in between is just to make it sound nicer. Or is it!?...

Installation

  • Git clone all the stuff somewhere
  • Copy Halmak.bundle into your /Library/Keyboard Layouts folder (create if it is missing)
  • Sign out, Sign in
  • Go to the keyboard preferences and add the Halmak layout
  • Ask here in issues if nothing works

Android installation for physical keyboards

  1. Install Extra Physical Keyboard Layouts from the Play Store
    Source code is available on github
  2. Connect a physical keyboard to your Android device e.g. via bluetooth or OTG
  3. Select the Halmak layout in your system menu e.g. System > Language and Input > Physical keyboard > Keyboard Name

Integrations

Karabiner Elements

To enable virtual key mapping for Halmak on your macOS machine via Karabiner Elements, you can use the following configuration inside your simple_modifications section of your $HOME/.config/karabiner/karabiner.json file:

{ "from": { "key_code": "q" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "w" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "w" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "l" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "e" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "r" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "r" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "b" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "t" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "z" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "y" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "semicolon" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "u" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "q" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "i" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "u" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "o" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "d" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "p" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "j" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "a" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "s" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "s" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "h" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "d" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "n" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "f" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "t" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "g" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "comma" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "h" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "period" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "j" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "a" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "k" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "e" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "l" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "o" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "semicolon" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "i" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "z" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "f" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "x" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "m" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "c" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "v" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "v" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "c" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "b" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "slash" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "n" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "g" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "m" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "p" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "comma" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "x" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "period" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "k" }] },
{ "from": { "key_code": "slash" }, "to": [{ "key_code": "y" }] }

Kinesis Advantage 2

To enable native key mapping for Halmak on your Kinesis Advantage 2

  1. Download our 1_qwerty.txt file
  2. Program+Shift+Escape to enable power user mode (should see 4 LED flashes)
  3. Program+F1 to mount to the keyboard as a drive (should see a few flashes)
  4. Drag the downloaded 1_qwerty.txt file into ADVANTAGE2 / active
  5. Open Disk Utility, right-click on the drive, select Eject (must be "Eject", as unmount will not write the file)
  6. Program+F3 to enable QWERTY, then Program+1 to enable our Halmak modification of QWERTY

Refer to the Kinesis Advantage 2 support page for assistance.

Type Fu

To learn Halmak, we have an integration for Type Fu.

  1. Download our Halmak.tfl file
  2. Open Type Fu
  3. Preferences
  4. Keyboard
  5. Hamburger menu
  6. Import from File
  7. Select the file you downloaded from the first step

Copyright & License

Again, I'm not sure if there is a point to this. But I guess it's MIT.

Copyright (C) 2016 Nikolay Nemshilov