https://reddit.com/link/1t273rb/video/5aovmpzintyg1/player
I have SMA type 2. I've wanted to switch to Linux for years, but accessibility was always the wall — especially on-screen keyboards, which matter to me because I drive everything with a mouse. The existing options just didn't cut it for how I work.
So I built one. It's called Nome. A few things it does:
- Wayland-native, doesn't steal focus
- Works on the GDM login screen
- Sticky modifiers (off / armed / locked)
- Local word prediction that learns your words and phrases
- Multiple layouts, deep theming, and yes — RGB modes, because if I'm finally on Linux I'm ricing my keyboard too
I'm honestly nervous posting this. I'm not a developer — I leaned hard on AI to write the code, and I know that's a sore subject in a lot of Linux spaces. I get it. But this is the only reason a tool like this exists for me at all. Without AI, I'd still be locked out of an OS I've wanted to use for years.
And that's really the bigger point. There are a lot of us — people with SMA, ALS, MS, spinal cord injuries, anything that limits movement — who get pushed toward whatever OS happens to ship the most accessibility features out of the box. That usually isn't Linux. I want that to change. If Nome lets even a few more people make the jump, or gives someone a starting point to build something better, that's worth the nerves about posting.
If it helps you, good. If you can make it better, the repo's open. Accessibility testing, layout ideas, bug reports from people who actually depend on tools like this — all welcome.