gtypist

Typing tutor program

TLDR

Start GNU Typist with default lessons

$ gtypist

Start a specific lesson file

$ gtypist [path/to/lesson.typ]

Start at a specific lesson label

$ gtypist -l [S1]

Set maximum allowed error percentage (default: 3.0)

$ gtypist -e [5.0]

Start in silent mode (no error beeps)

$ gtypist -s

Track personal best typing speeds

$ gtypist -b

GNU Typist (gtypist) is a typing tutor program. It provides structured lessons for learning touch typing, with exercises progressing from home row keys to full keyboard proficiency.The program tracks accuracy and speed, requiring users to meet accuracy thresholds (configurable via -e) before advancing to the next exercise. Lesson scripts can be customized or written from scratch using the gtypist lesson file format.

PARAMETERS

script

Lesson file to use (.typ format).

-l label

Start at a specific lesson label within the script.

-e percent

Maximum error percentage allowed (default: 3.0, range: 0.0-100.0).

-s

Silent mode (no beeps on errors).

-b, --personal-best

Track personal best typing speeds.

-n, --notimer

Turn off the WPM timer in drills.

-t, --term-cursor

Use the terminal's hardware cursor.

-w

Word processor mode.

-V, --version

Print version and exit.

--help

Display help information.

INCLUDED LESSONS

- QWERTY keyboard layouts (US, UK)- Dvorak layout- Colemak layout- Number pad training- Multiple languages (German, French, Spanish, etc.)

LESSON FILE FORMAT

$ # Comment
*:LABEL
T:Tutorial text to display
D:Drill text to type
S:Speed test paragraph

CAVEATS

Terminal-based interface (requires ncurses). Lessons are English-centric by default. Progress is not saved between sessions unless using --personal-best for speed tracking.

HISTORY

GNU Typist was originally written by Simon Baldwin and is maintained as part of the GNU project. It follows the tradition of typing tutors dating back to early computer education.