FOSSPicks
vimDDR
Back in the mid-1990s, I had an office job that involved scanning lots of barcodes and entering the details from thousands of "assets" into a database. The database front end was nothing more than a simple DOS script, and I spent many hours, days, and weeks tapping away and getting nowhere. As a distraction that might also teach me how to touch type, I wrote a small game in the QBASIC version that came bundled with the PC. This game simply timed how long it took me to type all the letters on the keyboard in a specific random order. The best thing about this game was that while I was playing it, I appeared to be working amazingly productively! All my co-workers were in awe of the rapid keyboard sounds that came from my cubicle, thinking I was rattling through the asset database at an unrivaled rate. In reality, I was trying to beat my high score.
VimDDR reminds me very much of that early QBASIC game I wrote because you can't really get a simpler game. Its 118 lines of Python wouldn't even look out of place printed in a 1980s computer magazine, ready for game-starved readers to type in the themselves. Run the script and a line appears showing a single unicode arrow and three hearts. The hearts are your lives, and the arrow indicates which vim direction key you need to press. This is real vim, which means you're not allowed to use the cursor keys! It's a classic finger trainer for h
, j
, k
, and l
– the gateway keys to vim's heady greatness. Master these instead of those cheap arrow keys, and you'll position yourself for vim's many and varied editing shortcuts. And it works!
Project Website
https://github.com/blitzkraft/vimddr
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe 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
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.