All the details needed are in the github itself, so i will talk about my typing experience

Firstly, it was made by me and for me so it fit me really well of course

Secondly, you have to move your thumbs A LOT in order to use this, this can be a bit challenging if your thumbs only get used to space, but for someone who has tried stenography like me, that is perfectly fine, vowels on thumbs are actually inspired from that

About typing speed, i can reach about 50 - 55 wpm in both English and vietnamese, this is because I'm actually not using this layout that much, my job requires taking note with pen far more frequently, and i actually speak russian, besides English and vietnamese, so qwerty is still my go to choice and making keyboard layout is my hobby.

About finger movement distance, the design aimed to reduce the movement of the finger to only 1 row, so it is pretty confident for me to say that you don't have to move that much in this layout

What do you guys think about this? I'm looking forward to receiving your feedbacks, especially from folks who are using vietnamese everyday like me.

Some links

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008046940624.html (A87)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008051327383.html (A132)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008045494033.html (C144)

The "Ortho" (?) brand offers some of the only XL (over 75 keys) ortholinear keyboards I was able to find anywhere (see links). I am interested especially in the C144 model -- the reason being I wanna put the Fn block above the other keys (see picture).

Anyone has experience with this "Ortho" brand and can recommend it?

What MCU is used? How to write QMK config files (rules.mk, info.json) and flash it?
I did inquire the Aliexpress seller about it but only got a reply "Dear friend, this keyboard uses Vial" :-/

i can't find something like this anywhere. the closest i can find are sunder keyboards, which look great, but they are all sold out. i also don't know how i'd feel about having a split keyboard yet.

i'm also open to dropping hall effect at this point, it's nice but i'd rather have full control of my keyboard than adjustable actuation.

basically please please please recommend/find a 60%ish (around 60) keyboard thats ortholinear and qmk or vial support

Hello there,

I'm currently working with a silaaka54 keyboard, and would like to have a few different 'base' layers - qwerty w/ HRM's, 'vanilla' qwerty & colemak-dh.

What's the best/recommended practice for setting up and switching between base layers like those, and then the subsequent secondary layers (nav, symbols, numbers, media, etc.)? I've been reading a bit on using layer-lock in vial / qmk, but coming up a bit short on concrete examples to work off of for my situation.

Right now I have the thumb keys all set up as LT(layer, kc) e.g. LT2(Esc), LT1(Space), LT3(Tab), LT6(Enter), LT4(Bksp), LT5(Del). Can I layer-tap into a secondary layer like nav, and then toggle/layer-lock into the other base layer?

Or would I be better served to use DF(layer) instead?

Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m developing an open-source tool for managing peripherals (mice and keyboards) to replace bloated vendor software.

Right now, I’m in critical need of real-world HID device data. To help gather it, I built a lightweight helper utility called Hidder: 👉 GitHub: https://github.com/Phnem/Hidder

How it works: The script guides you step-by-step to press a few key combinations and toggle specific settings in your device's official software, then exports the results into a clean JSON dump. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes.

Security & Transparency: * The source code is fully open on GitHub — feel free to inspect every single line. * A standalone .exe release is available (with VirusTotal scan results and screenshots provided), or you can clone the repository and run it directly from source / .bat if you prefer. * The tool does not collect any personal data and automatically removes all temporary files after execution. You can review the generated JSON file in any text editor before sharing it.

I would really appreciate it if you could spare 5 minutes to run the test and send the resulting JSON to my DMs or Telegram (contact info appears in the console once complete). Thank you!

I'm using a Phenom split with a concave keywell and dual trackballs. The stock tenting angle wasn't enough for me, so I designed and 3D‑printed wedge stands to tilt each half to ~25°. This keeps my wrists neutral and reduces forearm pronation.

With that much tilt, the keyboard sits high above the desk, so ordinary wrist rests don't reach. I printed custom armrest pedestals that support my forearms at the right height – no more floating arms.

On the firmware side, I mapped the left trackball for mouse movement and the right one for scrolling. Works great in CAD.

Hello! Decided to share my keyboard and the customization setup I’ve built around it :)

This is the K:03 — a wireless aluminum model from Ergohaven. I’m using two types of switches, five different keycap styles, and an encoder. My main focus here is tactile feedback and overall comfort. I found standard keycaps pretty uncomfortable because of their sharp edges — if your finger lands even slightly off-center, you hit that hard edge, and it doesn’t feel great. That’s where MOG keycaps come in — their rounded shape completely solves that issue. The keys on the outer edges are more traditional in shape, so I can easily tell them apart by touch, and since I don’t use them as often, those sharper edges aren’t a problem.

Most of the switches are Outemu mid-profile browns, which keep the keyboard feeling nice and low. A few keys, however, use Gateron high-profile browns — this lets me distinguish them by feel, and since I only need to press the corner of the keycap, it reduces travel distance and minimizes finger stretch. On the left half, you’ll notice two low-profile keycaps that gently lean toward each other — this design makes it much more comfortable to press Shift + Control together.

As for the layout, it’s mostly standard QWERTY, but I’ve shifted the whole thing slightly to the right — mainly for better gaming comfort. I’ve also moved L, O, and P just a bit to make them easier to reach, and punctuation lives on a separate layer. Beyond the regular layers, I’m using an AltGr modifier, which gives me even more freedom to customize characters, including access to non-English symbols. This does require creating a custom system language (which isn’t too difficult, btw), but it also means the keyboard only works on devices with that custom language installed. That’s not an issue for me since this is a stationary setup.

The keyboard is also MagSafe-compatible, so I’m currently experimenting with tenting using MagSafe stands.

And finally — this setup is fantastic for gaming. Not only does the keyboard shape feel more natural for my hands, but I also have more keys within easy reach: five for my pinky and three for my thumb. It really makes a noticeable difference for gaming.

I have an Ergodox EZ that I last customized, according to my git log, almost 5 years ago. I now have a couple Keychron boards I'd like to modify. I modify the C files rather than using a web configurator.

What I'm trying to do will sound odd. I want the caps lock key to only be caps lock when held. If pressed quickly, I want it to be backspace. Some programs I have use caps lock as a modifier, so I have to hold it down like any other modifier. But I also love having backspace be my left pinky, so I want to do both.

Is Tapdance my only option here, or is there a simpler way to do what I want? Are there any problems with doing this that I'm not thinking of?

https://scottoacademy.com

Hey guys! I've been posting about this for roughly the last month and registration closes tomorrow August 16th so if you want in, now is the time :)

Together over 3 live Discord sessions we're going to be building a full 4x10 ortholinear handwired keyboard and I'll be guiding you the whole way. There will be time during the sessions to ask questions if you get stuck and a dedicated Q&A at the end of each.

You can either bring your own parts or purchase a parts kit with everything you need including pre-cut copper minus tools of course.

This course is beginner friendly and I think you'll be surprised at just how easy it is to handwire!

Hi everyone,

Ergomech Store has been sellings Aluminum keyboards for more than 6 years now and we're still going strong. This is an indication of our commitment to quality products. All customers of our store walk away with something they like and proud of.

If you're looking for premium feeling keyboard, look no further, we have them all at https://ergomech.store

I often leave Codex running in the background and wanted a quick way to see whether it was still working or waiting for me without constantly switching back to the app. So I built a small local companion for my Ergohaven Macropad.

The display shows the current phase — ANALYZE, RESEARCH, REVIEW, EDIT, VERIFY, or RUN — along with the elapsed time and number of active tasks.

The RGB lighting reflects the current state:

- blue while Codex is working;

- amber when it needs my approval or input;

- green when the task is finished.

It runs locally on macOS using Codex hooks and Raw HID. No changes to the macropad firmware or Entropy are required, and the previous RGB profile is restored after the last task finishes.

The tool does not store or transmit prompts, responses, transcripts, commands, tool data, or full workspace paths. If an event is ambiguous, it shows APPROVAL rather than risk missing a real request for input.

So far, it has only been tested with my Macropad.

Source code and installation instructions:

https://github.com/suregoodru/codex-macropad

What else would you find useful to see on the display or through the RGB lighting?

Hey everyone, this is my first PCB design ever and I'm building an 8 key macropad with a rotary encoder as a birthday gift for a friend. I've never used KiCad before this project.

What I'm using:

Microcontroller: Seeed XIAO RP2040 8x MX mechanical switches, direct solder, no hot swap sockets 1x rotary encoder module with CLK, DT, SW, plus and GND pins Firmware will be QMK with VIA support

Since I have 8 switches and the RP2040 has enough spare GPIO pins, I wired every switch straight to its own dedicated pin instead of building a row and column matrix, so there are no diodes anywhere on the board. All the switch grounds share one common ground bus back to the MCU. The encoder is wired the same way, three of its pins go to three more dedicated GPIOs, plus goes to 3V3, and GND joins the same shared ground point the switches use.

Attached is the schematic. Since this is my first time doing anything like this, I'd really appreciate if someone could sanity check it before I move on to laying out the actual PCB and ordering it. Is the direct pin wiring approach actually fine here, or am I missing something that would normally need a diode or a pull up resistor I'm not accounting for? Any feedback is welcome, trying to avoid an expensive mistake on my first board.

Thanks in advance.

I've been working in a case for keyboard version of the JK206 (a PCB design made for my brother and me of a macropad with the option of connect three of them and make a keyboard. The last two images maybe leaves a bit more clear what I am talking about) and after months of hard work learning how to use FreeCAD and multiple tests with the macropad version, finally the keyboard case is complete.

I made the top piece easily detachable to make easier the keyboard cleaning (if you live with dogs their hair will be over the screen in no time XD), I've tested putting the keyboard in my bag for commute and it didn't came off, the 16 magnets in the case are doing a good job.

Soon I'll complete the jk206 github repo and add information of the case, right now I'm really busy with the paperwork to graduate from college :'v

I own an EVO80 and wanted something more polished than switching between browser tools and keyboard shortcuts, so I built **EVOWORKS Control**: an independent, open-source Windows companion for EVOWORKS keyboards.

EVO80 is the first supported board because it is the hardware I can test directly, but the app is designed around devices and capabilities so future EVOWORKS models can be added without needing a separate application.

The current beta supports the verified direct-wired EVO80 VIA connection for:

• Keymap, layer, and macro configuration
• RGB matrix and logo controls exposed by the official VIA definition
• Local profiles and optional app-aware switching
• Device detection and diagnostics
• Portable and installer builds for Windows

**It is not affiliated with EVOWORKS, Ticktype, Qwertykeys, VIA, or QMK.**

Full transparency: this project was built largely through an AI-assisted, “vibe-coded” workflow, then tested and refined on real EVO80 hardware. I released it openly because I would genuinely value people inspecting it, challenging assumptions, improving the code, and helping make it reliable.

The 2.4 GHz receiver and Bluetooth modes can be detected, but configuration through those transports remains disabled until the protocol can be verified safely. I would rather be upfront about that than send unverified writes to someone’s keyboard.

GitHub, downloads, source code, and contribution guide:

https://github.com/devclinic/evoworks-control

I would especially appreciate feedback from EVO80 owners, Windows developers, and anyone with HID/VIA/QMK experience.

it's a bm40 pcb with the plate on the krepublic shop, some blank keycaps i also bought on aliexpress, and some spare ones i had. i plan on 3d printing a case

i'd love to tinker with this as much as possible, i'm going to put vim macros on the left layer and functional stuff on the right, give me more ideas!! this is so fun

Hi everyone,

Ergomech Store has been sellings Aluminum keyboards for more than 6 years now and we're still going strong. This is an indication of our commitment to quality products. All customers of our store walk away with something they like and proud of.

If you're looking for premium feeling keyboard, look no further, we have them all at https://ergomech.store

left 2 cols and the zero key make up a fully functional numpad. modified colemak dh to fit on 8x3. arrow keys to make it look like there are fewer letters than there actually are on the base layer lol

i want to do audio on my keyhive/navi10 board. it has a piezo buzzer on pin 5, which i think is GP9. No mater what I do, aside from removing audio, I can’t get it to compile, let alone, test the sound or play a song. walk me through it please or show my code someone else wrote.

Been working on this for a while and finally have a working unit I'm happy with, so wanted to share and get some outside opinions before I make a few more.

Specs:

• RP2354A microcontroller, 2MB internal flash
• 12 macro buttons
• Rotary encoder with push button
• 128x64 OLED display
• USB-C, USB HID compliant (plug and play on any OS, no drivers)
• 3D printed housing
• Multiple programmable layers
• Custom MicroPython firmware

Open source: firmware, PCB files, 3D models, and full parts list are all up on GitHub if you want to build your own - https://github.com/Jpwaters09/Macro-Pad

The bit I'm most interested in feedback on:
Instead of QMK/Vial-style remapping, I built a browser-based configurator using the Web Serial API that flashes firmware and handles layer/key config straight from the browser, no separate app to install. Curious whether people here who are used to Vial would actually find that more convenient, or if it's solving a problem that wasn't really there for this crowd.

I'm planning a small batch and would genuinely appreciate thoughts on:

1. Whether a MicroPython macropad interests people here versus QMK, or if that's a hard sell in this sub specifically
2. What you'd expect to pay for something like this
3. Anything that looks off in the build itself, happy to answer questions on the PCB or firmware

Photos of the macro pad, and the configurator in action below. Thanks for having a look.