From b94f095f7c2da4b9da92173325f524f0ff7a1102 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Christoph Cullmann Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2022 18:35:31 +0200 Subject: add planck keyboard post --- .../planck-and-qmk/images/planck-building.webp | Bin 0 -> 247948 bytes .../posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-final.webp | Bin 0 -> 199344 bytes content/posts/planck-and-qmk/index.md | 108 +++++++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 108 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-building.webp create mode 100644 content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-final.webp create mode 100644 content/posts/planck-and-qmk/index.md diff --git a/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-building.webp b/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-building.webp new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c4a2d6c Binary files /dev/null and b/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-building.webp differ diff --git a/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-final.webp b/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-final.webp new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3e241c0 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/images/planck-final.webp differ diff --git a/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/index.md b/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..19e7a7e --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/planck-and-qmk/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +--- +title: "Planck and QMK" +date: 2022-10-08T18:35:00+03:00 +draft: false +categories: [keyboard] +tags: [keyboard] +url: /posts/planck-and-qmk/ +author: "Christoph Cullmann" +resources: + - name: "featured-image-preview" + src: "images/planck-final.webp" +--- + +## The Planck Keyboard + +Over the past two years I tried out a few different keyboards for fun. + +I started with common form factors like TKL boards, went over 75% boards like the [Q1](/posts/keyboards-and-open-source/) and then to a 60% [HHKB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard). + +For typing feel, the HHKB is really amazing, but unfortunately the programmable features of a stock HHKB board are very limited. + +Now that I went down to 60%, I will give a more extreme keyboard a chance, the 40% Planck ortholinear keyboard. + +This one is fully open-source, you can even produce your own PCBs and Co. +You find more or less all stuff freely at [GitHub](https://github.com/olkb). + +Given that the Plank designer funded [QMK](https://qmk.fm), too, naturally you can fully customize the Planck boards. + +Unlike for my tries with the Q1, this time I just went the plain QMK route, without any UI like the closed [VIA](https://www.caniusevia.com/) or the open [VIAL](https://get.vial.today/). + +The Planck board offers a nice platform for experiments, given the plain grid layer that allows really to freely shuffle all your keys and experiment with extreme layouts. + +![Building the Planck keyboard](images/planck-building.webp "Building the Planck keyboard") + +## Install QMK on NixOS + +As I use at the moment [NixOS](https://nixos.org) at home, here the needed steps to get going with QMK on that distribution. + +Install the qmk package. This will install the needed cross compile tool chains, too. + +Ensure the udev rules are setup, e.g. add to your configuration.nix + +{{< highlight nix >}} +services.udev.packages = [ pkgs.qmk-udev-rules ]; +{{< / highlight >}} + +Run qmk setup, here with some own firmware location + +{{< highlight bash >}} +qmk setup -H ~/install/qmk/firmware +{{< / highlight >}} + +Configure QMK to use the Planck as default + +{{< highlight bash >}} +qmk config user.keyboard=planck/rev6_drop +{{< / highlight >}} + +Use my github name as keymap name + +{{< highlight bash >}} +qmk config user.keymap=christoph-cullmann +{{< / highlight >}} + +Create own keymap based on default + +{{< highlight bash >}} +qmk new-keymap +{{< / highlight >}} + +Compile the firmware + +{{< highlight bash >}} +qmk compile +{{< / highlight >}} + +Put the keyboard in boot loader mode (e.g. trigger RESET) + +Flash the firmware + +{{< highlight bash >}} +qmk flash +{{< / highlight >}} + +Now the keyboard should auto-restart with the new firmware. + +## Have fun :) + +Below the state of a finalized Planck board with some more or less standard first layer layout. + +It even plays a nice startup sound on powering up. + +![Finalized Planck keyboard](images/planck-final.webp "Finalized Planck keyboard") + +My current keymap can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/christoph-cullmann/planck). + +As the history of this repository shows, I already experimented if some different layouts. + +## Warning ^^ + +Yes, the paper on the left of the keyboard is a printout of the lower & raise keyboard layers. + +My typing speed is still abysmal on that new layout and I guess I need to build as second one for at work, otherwise I will never get used to the layout if I swap daily between this and a HHKB. + +Therefore, if you like to try such a board and are not a lot more experienced with switching between different layouts: you will need some time to get used to this. + +Even just the removed row staggering is confusing the first few days. + -- cgit v1.2.3