Florence is a GNOME-based software that provides a virtual keyboard.
Florence is a virtual keyboard software designed specifically for GNOME users. It is ideal for those who are unable to use a physical keyboard due to illness, a broken keyboard or a tablet PC, but can use a pointing device.
Some may question the need for Florence when there is already software like gok available. While gok is an excellent option, Florence brings a certain aesthetic quality to the table. If you don't require all the features that gok provides and value cuteness, then Florence may be a better choice for you.
To use Florence, you will need a GNOME desktop and two technical dependencies: libgnomecanvas and at-spi. These dependencies are often included in distros as development packages, but it's best to confirm with your distro support.
Unfortunately, there isn't a pre-built package presently available. However, building the software from source is still relatively straightforward. First, decompress the downloaded file by running the command '$ tar -xvf florence.tar.bz2'. After that, configure and install Florence on your machine by running '$ cd florence && ./configure', '$ make', and '$ su # make install'.
To begin using Florence, you will need to activate technical help in GNOME by going to System->settings->technical help (or somewhere similar) and ticking the relevant option. After logging out of your GNOME session, Florence will start to work.
However, be mindful that Florence is in waiting mode and only appears when you click on an editable widget. To modify this behavior, it's possible to switch to a 'normal virtual keyboard' that's always visible. To make this change, edit the configuration file located at '/usr/local/etc/florence.conf' by running '$ gedit /usr/local/etc/florence.conf' (which may require administrative privileges).
Various options are available that can be customized to your preferences, including setting colors, zoom factor, and the autoclick function. The full list of modifications can be found in the configuration file.
Overall, Florence is an excellent virtual keyboard software that's easy to install, set up, and customize to meet your needs.
Some may question the need for Florence when there is already software like gok available. While gok is an excellent option, Florence brings a certain aesthetic quality to the table. If you don't require all the features that gok provides and value cuteness, then Florence may be a better choice for you.
To use Florence, you will need a GNOME desktop and two technical dependencies: libgnomecanvas and at-spi. These dependencies are often included in distros as development packages, but it's best to confirm with your distro support.
Unfortunately, there isn't a pre-built package presently available. However, building the software from source is still relatively straightforward. First, decompress the downloaded file by running the command '$ tar -xvf florence.tar.bz2'. After that, configure and install Florence on your machine by running '$ cd florence && ./configure', '$ make', and '$ su # make install'.
To begin using Florence, you will need to activate technical help in GNOME by going to System->settings->technical help (or somewhere similar) and ticking the relevant option. After logging out of your GNOME session, Florence will start to work.
However, be mindful that Florence is in waiting mode and only appears when you click on an editable widget. To modify this behavior, it's possible to switch to a 'normal virtual keyboard' that's always visible. To make this change, edit the configuration file located at '/usr/local/etc/florence.conf' by running '$ gedit /usr/local/etc/florence.conf' (which may require administrative privileges).
Various options are available that can be customized to your preferences, including setting colors, zoom factor, and the autoclick function. The full list of modifications can be found in the configuration file.
Overall, Florence is an excellent virtual keyboard software that's easy to install, set up, and customize to meet your needs.
What's New
Version 0.4.5: N/A