FOSSPicks
Keyboard configuration
Chrysalis
There are many Kickstarter projects that have hit their goal only to flounder during that insane period after they get the money. This is for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the most common is that a project fails to anticipate the monumental effort required to take a product from the prototype to the production line. The wooden "heirloom grade" keyboard, called keyboard.io, could have so easily been one of those failures. It was two years late, but during the course of those many extra months, its creators – Jesse and Kaia – wrote a wonderful series of blog posts on dealing with the minutia of small-scale manufacturing and its horrendous complexity, from the USA to Chinese New Year in Shenzhen. All this time later, the keyboard is a reality, and Bruce Byfield wrote a wonderful and in depth look at the hardware in issue 211 (June 2018) of this very magazine.
At the heart of keyboard.io is an open source philosophy that not only touches the hardware and design, but also the software. Its Arduino-based firmware is open source and so too is Chrysalis, a new desktop application used to configure the keys. Chrysalis is not just limited to keyboard.io hardware. Chrysalis can be used with any Kaleidoscope-powered keyboard, which has become an open standard for general Arduino powered keyboards, including the Model 01, the ErgoDox EZ (and any other keyboard wired like the original ErgoDox), the Atreus, and Dygma's Raise (preliminary, at the moment). This means you can buy one of these or build your own, and you don't have to worry about the firmware or the configuration. The software saves you from editing Arduino source files and works in real time with your keyboard. Adjust the keys for each layer, and adjust the shortcuts that work across keys and layers to create the ultimate configuration for your work.
Project Website
https://github.com/keyboardio/Chrysalis
Media player
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.