clack-rs

Clack is a distraction-free terminal typewriter designed for fun and focused writing. It aims to provide a tactile and immersive writing experience through unique features and custom sound design, mimicking the feel of a classic typewriter.

Note: Sound is unfortunately unavailable in a GIF—and the sound is half the fun! Try Clack yourself to experience the full (simulated) mechanical typewriter effect.

Warning

This project is currently in very early and active development. Features may change, and bugs are to be expected. Contributions and feedback are welcome as the project evolves.

Features

• Distraction-free writing: A clean interface focused solely on your text.
• Typewriter mode: Keeps the active line vertically centered on the screen, similar to a physical typewriter.
• Focus mode: Dims inactive lines, drawing attention to your current line of thought.
• Theming: Cycle through different visual themes (dark, paper, retro) to suit your preference.
• Authentic sounds: Mechanical keyboard sound effects for key presses, space, backspace, and a carriage return "thunk". Includes a classic end-of-line bell warning at 72 characters.
• Fixed-width paper: Simulates a physical sheet of paper with consistent margins, centered in your terminal.
• Margin guide: Subtle visual indicator at column 72 to help you stay within typewriter margins.
• Advanced navigation: Word-wise movement (Ctrl+Arrow), Home/End keys, and Delete key support.
• Markdown rendering: Supports basic inline markdown for bold and italic text.
• File management: Save and load text files with unsaved changes indicator.
• Typing statistics: Displays word and character counts in the footer.
• Status feedback: Visual confirmation for save operations and clear error messages.

Technology stack

Clack is built with Rust, leveraging the following libraries:

• ratatui: For building the terminal user interface.
• crossterm: For cross-platform terminal event handling and manipulation.
• ropey: An efficient text buffer (rope data structure) for robust text editing.
• rodio: For audio playback of sound effects.
• anyhow: For simplified error handling.

Installation and usage

From source

To build and run Clack from source, you will need the Rust toolchain installed.

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/clack
   cd clack
   

2. Build and run:

   cargo run --release
   

   Or install locally:

   cargo install --path .
   clack my_document.md
   

3. Usage:

   # Start with a new document
   clack
   
   # Open or create a specific file
   clack my_document.md
   

Recommended fonts for maximum typewriter feel

While Clack can't control your terminal's font directly, using a typewriter-style monospace font will dramatically enhance the experience. Here are our top recommendations:

Best Typewriter Fonts

1. IBM Plex Mono (Free) - Modern take on IBM's classic typewriter font

   • Download: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/IBM+Plex+Mono
   • Best weight: Regular or Medium

2. Courier Prime (Free) - Designed specifically to look like a typewriter

   • Download: https://quoteunquoteapps.com/courierprime/
   • Most authentic typewriter feel

3. JetBrains Mono (Free) - Clean, modern monospace with excellent readability

   • Download: https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/
   • Good for extended writing sessions

4. Inconsolata (Free) - Classic programmer font with typewriter aesthetics

   • Download: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Inconsolata

5. American Typewriter (macOS built-in) - Authentic typewriter appearance

   • No download needed on macOS

How to change your terminal font

• macOS Terminal: Terminal → Preferences → Profiles → Font
• iTerm2: Preferences → Profiles → Text → Font
• Alacritty: Edit ~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.yml
• Windows Terminal: Settings → Profiles → Appearance → Font face

Recommended settings

For the best typewriter experience:

• Font size: 13-16pt (larger is more typewriter-like)
• Line spacing: 1.2-1.4 (gives that classic typewritten look)
• Theme: Use Clack's "Paper" theme (F5) with a cream-colored font for authenticity

Configuration

Clack supports user configuration via a TOML file located at ~/.config/clack/config.toml.

Example configuration

# Clack configuration file
# Location: ~/.config/clack/config.toml

# Theme: "Paper", "Dark", or "Retro"
theme = "Paper"

# Keep active line centered vertically
typewriter_mode = true

# Dim inactive lines for focus
focus_mode = false

# Enable sound effects
sound_enabled = true

# Enable double spacing between lines
double_spacing = false

If no configuration file is found, Clack will use the default settings shown above.

Keybindings

Quick reference

• F1: Show help menu with all keyboard shortcuts
• Ctrl + S: Save the current document
• Escape: Quit the application

Application controls (see F1 for full list)

• F2: Toggle focus mode (dims inactive lines)
• F3 / Ctrl + T: Toggle typewriter mode (keeps active line centered)
• F4: Toggle sound effects
• F5: Cycle through available themes (Dark, Paper, Retro)
• F6: Toggle double spacing

Text Editing

• Backspace: Delete previous character.
• Delete: Delete next character (forward delete).
• Enter: Insert a new line.

Navigation

• Arrow keys: Navigate characters and lines.
• Ctrl + Left/Right: Jump by word.
• Home: Move to beginning of line.
• End: Move to end of line.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.