# Coffee++ keyboard layout Free under the GNU licence, by Ruben Barkow. **A one-hand typing keyboard layout for programmers that can optionally be used with both hands.** Coffee++ lets you type complete texts and code **with your left hand only**, leaving the right hand free for the mouse, the number pad — or a coffee. The four most common letters **E, N, T and I** are additionally repeated on the right-hand side, so with both hands you can reach a much faster typing speed than with QWERT/QWERTZ. Unlike the Left-Hand-Dvorak layout, the left hand stays at its standard position, so it also works well on laptops (no palm on the touchpad) and ergonomic keyboards. ![Coffee++ keyboard layout](Coffee++_keyboard_layout.gif) ## Layout concepts - All letters are reachable on the left half of the keyboard (one-hand writing). - The right half directly produces the special characters programmers need most — `( ) " = [ ] < > ' - . $ / + * , ; ! ?` — without Shift or Alt. - With **AltGr** the same special characters and all digits are available on the left side (digits are duplicated on the number pad anyway; the most common `0` and `1` sit on the most comfortable positions). - With **AltGr** the right-hand home position becomes a navigation cluster: `← ↓ →`, `Home`, `End`, `PgUp`, `PgDn`, `Del`, `Backspace`, `Enter`. - **Caps Lock becomes a second AltGr** key (Caps Lock itself is moved onto Scroll Lock resp. to level 3 of the Caps key), so one-hand writing works without leaving home row. - `A S D`, `B`, `Z`, `X`, `C`, `V`, `W`, `-`, `,`, `.` and `@` keep (nearly) their QWERT positions: common Ctrl-shortcuts keep working and re-learning is faster. - Dead keys for accents: `` ` `` `´` `^` `¨` `~` `¸` `ˇ` `˘` `˚` produce letters like `ä ö ü é ç ñ`. - Common digraphs (`TH`, `EN`, `ER`, `OF`, `WH`, `CH`) are placed so they can be typed without moving the same finger twice. Letter layer (German hardware positions, unshifted): ``` q p f m u k y $ / + * ¨ ! w i r h l z ( ) = [ > < a s d o c g e n t i ] ' < v t n e b j " , . - ``` ## Installation on Linux The layout is defined as a variant `coffeeplusplus` of the German `de` keymap. ### 1. Proper installation (recommended) — like Colemak/Dvorak/Neo ```sh pkexec bash dev/install-coffeeplusplus-xkb.sh ``` This installs Coffee++ **the same way xkb-data ships its own variants**, so it shows up in *Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → German → "Deutsch (Coffee++)"* next to the other layouts, and it **survives package upgrades**: - appends `xkb_symbols "coffeeplusplus"` to `/usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/de` - registers `` `coffeeplusplus` in `/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml` (inside the `` of the German layout) and adds the matching line to `rules/evdev.lst` — both files drive the layout lists of GNOME/KDE/other tools - installs `/usr/local/sbin/coffeeplusplus-xkb-apply`, an idempotent worker that re-injects the two patches, triggered by - an apt hook (`/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99coffeeplusplus-xkb`, `DPkg::Post-Invoke`) — covers apt/apt-get/aptitude/unattended-upgrades, and - a `systemd.path` unit watching `symbols/de` and `rules/evdev.xml` — also covers plain `dpkg -i` or manual edits - works on X11 (xkbcomp path) and Wayland (libxkbcommon path) alike After installation, pick the variant in the keyboard settings, or activate the current session directly: ```sh setxkbmap -model pc105 -layout de -variant coffeeplusplus ``` The top-bar (HUD) input-source switcher only lists **added** input sources. To add Coffee++ from the terminal instead of the Settings dialog (as normal user, not root): ```sh gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources sources "[('xkb','de'),('xkb','de+coffeeplusplus')]" ``` If the new source still does not appear in the HUD switcher afterwards: the running GNOME Shell caches the layout registry from session start (variants that shipped with xkb-data, like Dvorak, resolve fine — newly registered ones do not). On X11 reload the shell **without logging out** — either press `Alt+F2`, type `r`, hit Enter, or from a terminal: ```sh killall -3 gnome-shell ``` (`Meta.restart` via D-Bus `Eval` is disabled by default on Ubuntu ≥ 22.04; on Wayland a re-login is the only option since the shell is the compositor.) Everything is removed again with `pkexec bash dev/install-coffeeplusplus-xkb.sh --uninstall`. The symbols block below already maps the Caps key to `ISO_Level3_Shift` (second AltGr, Caps Lock still reachable on level 3) — no extra remapping needed. It matches the 2007-era block shipped in the `.deb` below, except that four keysym names that are invalid in modern xkb (`eurosign`, `guillemotsingleleft`, `guillemotsingleright`, `rightdblarrow`) were replaced by their Unicode keysyms `EuroSign`, `U2039`, `U203A`, `U21D2` — otherwise those key positions would be dead. ### 2. Quick test with xmodmap (X11 only) ```sh xmodmap .xmodmap-Coffee++ # activate xmodmap .xmodmap-QWERT # back to normal ``` `xmodmap` is in the `x11-xserver-utils` package on Debian/Ubuntu. Put the activate command into your session autostart to make it permanent. Note: xmodmap does not work under Wayland, and some desktop environments reset it when the keyboard configuration changes — use method 1 instead. ### 3. Manual XKB install (what the installer automates) Append the `xkb_symbols "coffeeplusplus"` block (see below) to ``` /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/de ``` then register the variant in `/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml` inside the `` of the German layout: ```xml coffeeplusplus Deutsch (Coffee++) ``` and add the line ` coffeeplusplus de: Deutsch (Coffee++)` to the `! variant` section of `rules/evdev.lst`. Keep in mind that `xkb-data` updates overwrite these files — either re-apply manually or use the installer (method 1), which does this automatically. On Wayland compositors without a keyboard GUI, set the variant directly, e.g. Sway: `input * xkb_variant coffeeplusplus` (with `xkb_layout de`), GNOME: `gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources sources "[('xkb', 'de+coffeeplusplus')]"`.
xkb_symbols "coffeeplusplus" — click to expand ``` // // adopted 2007 by Ruben Barkow // inspired by Dvorak, de-ergo, Colemak and Neo // these lines must be added at the end of the file // /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/de partial alphanumeric_keys modifier_keys xkb_symbols "coffeeplusplus" { include "de" name[Group1]= "German (Coffee++)"; key { [ q, Q, 7, asciicircum ] }; key { [ p, P, 8, exclam ] }; key { [ f, F, 9, quotedbl ] }; key { [ m, M, 0, backslash ] }; key { [ u, U, 1, percent ] }; key { [ k, K, 2, onehalf ] }; key { [ y, Y, 3, threesuperior ] }; key { [ dollar, asciitilde, 4, onequarter ] }; key { [ slash, EuroSign, EuroSign, onethird ] }; key { [ plus, ampersand, plusminus, dead_caron ] }; key { [ asterisk, section, currency, multiply ] }; key { [ dead_diaeresis, ssharp, sterling, guillemotleft ] }; key { [ exclam, exclamdown, dead_acute, guillemotright ] }; key { [ w, W, at, apostrophe ] }; key { [ i, I, bracketleft, plus ] }; key { [ r, R, bracketright, asterisk ] }; key { [ h, H, parenleft, numbersign ] }; key { [ l, L, parenright, EuroSign ] }; key { [ z, Z, 5, twothirds ] }; key { [ parenleft, braceleft, dead_cedilla, cent ] }; key { [ parenright, braceright, Up, R ] }; key { [ equal, percent, Prior, percent ] }; key { [ bracketleft, bar, Delete, brokenbar ] }; key { [ greater, dead_grave, copyright, U203A ] }; key { [ less, dead_circumflex, dead_tilde, U2039 ] }; key { [ a, A, question, ssharp ] }; key { [ s, S, period, ampersand ] }; key { [ d, D, Return, colon ] }; key { [ o, O, BackSpace, dead_diaeresis ] }; key { [ c, C, semicolon, dead_acute ] }; key { [ g, G, 6, trademark ] }; key { [ e, E, Left, ae ] }; key { [ n, N, Down, registered ] }; key { [ t, T, Right, rightarrow ] }; key { [ i, I, oslash, Oslash ] }; key { [ bracketright, question, questiondown, U21D2 ] }; key { [ apostrophe, numbersign, dead_abovering, dead_grave ] }; key { [ x, X, bar, comma ] }; key { [ v, V, greater, less ] }; key { [ t, T, equal, dead_acute ] }; key { [ n, N, underscore, dead_tilde ] }; key { [ e, E, minus, twosuperior ] }; key { [ b, B, braceleft, infinity ] }; key { [ j, J, braceright, yen ] }; key { [ quotedbl, backslash, Home, mu ] }; key { [ comma, semicolon, End, minus ] }; key { [ period, colon, Next, periodcentered ] }; key { [ minus, underscore, minus, underscore ] }; key { [ space, space, nobreakspace, nobreakspace ] }; key { [ KP_Home, KP_7, seveneighths, oneeighth ] }; key { [ KP_Up, KP_8, uparrow, fiveeighths ] }; key { [ KP_Prior, KP_9, threeeighths, threeeighths ] }; key { [ KP_Left, KP_4, leftarrow, onequarter ] }; key { [ KP_Begin, KP_5, dagger, onehalf ] }; key { [ KP_Right, KP_6, rightarrow, threequarters ] }; key { [ KP_End, KP_1, onesuperior, onesuperior ] }; key { [ KP_Down, KP_2, downarrow, twosuperior ] }; key { [ KP_Next, KP_3, threesuperior, threesuperior ] }; key { [ KP_Enter ] }; key { [ KP_Equal ] }; key { [ KP_Insert, KP_0, percent, degree ] }; key { [ KP_Delete, KP_Decimal, periodcentered, comma ] }; // End "Keypad" section include "level3(ralt_switch)" // Modifier section key { [ ISO_Level3_Shift, ISO_Level3_Shift, Caps_Lock ] }; key { [ Tab, ISO_Left_Tab, KP_Delete, slash ] }; }; // ```
### 4. Debian package (historic) `download/coffeeplusplus-1.0_i386.deb` (architecture-independent despite the name) appends the symbols block above and installs small switcher scripts into `/usr/local/bin/`: ```sh entikey.bs # setxkbmap -model pc105 -layout de -variant coffeeplusplus qwertz.bs # setxkbmap -model pc105 -layout de -variant basic ``` Install with `sudo dpkg -i download/coffeeplusplus-1.0_i386.deb`. The package dates from 2007 — prefer method 1 on current systems. ### Caps Lock as a second AltGr (without the full layout) To get only the second AltGr on an otherwise standard layout, put into `~/.Xmodmap`: ``` remove Lock = Caps_Lock keysym Caps_Lock = ISO_Level3_Shift ``` and load it with `xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap`, or use the modern equivalent `setxkbmap -option lv3:caps_switch` (Wayland: set the same `lv3:caps_switch` option in the compositor/desktop keyboard settings). ## Windows and macOS - **Windows:** `Portable_Coffee++V21.zip` (Portable Keyboard Layout, thanks to Máté Farkas) — run `pkl.exe`, add to autostart for permanent use. The source `.klc` files (`Coffee++_v14.klc`, `Coffee++_v15.klc`) can be edited with the *MS Keyboard Layout Creator*. `CapsLock2AltGr_ScrollLock2CapsLock.ktw` and `CapsLock2BackspaceScrollLock2CapsLock.ktw` are KeyTweak files to remap Caps Lock to a second AltGr or to Backspace. - **macOS:** a Ukulele-generated `Coffee++.keylayout` lives in the companion repository [rubo77/Coffee-plus-plus](https://github.com/rubo77/Coffee-plus-plus) — copy it to `~/Library/Keyboard Layouts/` and add it in the keyboard settings. ## Files in this repository | File / dir | Purpose | |---|---| | `.xmodmap-Coffee++` | xmodmap map (activate) | | `.xmodmap-QWERT` | xmodmap map to switch back | | `Coffee++_v14.klc`, `Coffee++_v15.klc` | MS Keyboard Layout Creator sources | | `klc2xmodmap/` | PHP tool converting `.klc` files to xmodmap (generated the `.xmodmap-*` files) | | `dev/install-coffeeplusplus-xkb.sh` | installs the `coffeeplusplus` variant properly (symbols + evdev registry + upgrade-proof re-apply), see [Installation on Linux](#installation-on-linux) | | `dev/deploy.sh` | rsyncs the site to the docroot on `eclabs-vm06-web` (`dev/.env`; `-n` = dry-run, never `--delete`) | | `download/coffeeplusplus-1.0_i386.deb` | historic Debian package (XKB symbols + switcher scripts) | | `Anleitung-Linux-Kubuntu.doc` | original German Ubuntu/XKB install instructions (2007) | | `Linux beta9/README_Linux.txt` | original xmodmap install instructions | | `Coffee++_keyboard_layout.gif/.pdf/.xcf/.sla` | layout images (print + sources) | | `course.txt`, `lessons/`, `lesson.coffeeplusplus.txt` | typing-tutor course material | | `v8.5_README.txt` / `v8.5_README_de.txt` | original beta readme (EN/DE) | | `beta_versions/` | older remapper versions | All files were renamed from their historical `ENTI-key++*`/`Enti-key*`/`entikey*` names to `Coffee++*`; the old names are kept as symlinks so external links still resolve. ## Learning to type - Tips for learning: - Practise on - Or feed `course.txt` into your favourite typing tutor. Print the layout first — the finger animations of generic courses won't match Coffee++. ## Contact Questions and suggestions: Ruben Barkow — enticode-AT-spacetrace.org