SouthEast Linux Fest 2024

Why isn't your keyboard open source yet?
06-08, 10:00–10:50 (EST5EDT), System76 (BallroomA)

Dive into the eclectic world of non-standard keyboards where you can hack, solder and type your way to a happier input device.


Artists obsess about their paint brushes and musicians don't skimp on in-ear-monitors, but for some reason many linux geeks are happy to use a 150 year old technology as their primary input device. In this talk we'll start by looking at the history of keyboards and why modern day iterations aren't a good fit for daily computer users. After discussing alternative physical layouts and customization options (switches, key layouts, and more) we will learn about how FOSS firmware opens the door to an elevated typing experience. Finally we will discuss first steps on how to get started on your own keyboard journey.

Andrew Thompson works as a tech lead / cloud architect by day at BMW Group but enjoys spending his nights tinkering with homelabs, ham radios and hacked together software projects at night.