As noted in the title, I am trying to figure out the safest way to update the firmware on my recently purchased Keychron K1 QMK V6 keyboard. I was finally able to get the web based Keychron Launcher app to talk to my KB after using chmod to give the correct HIDRAW device read-write access but it looks like the new firmware needs another utility to be installed and only the Windoze directions are provided.

From my own online research it looks like there is a terminal-based method but it wasn’t really explained. I am not super concerned about updating the firmware since the preloaded version works well enough for my needs but I am still wondering if anyone knew of a tutorial on how to do this without bricking my shiny new keyboard.

I am using Fedora 43 Workstation if that makes any difference. Thanks in advance for any tips or advice!

  • MrQuallzin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    171·
    3 months ago

    Why do you need to update the firmware? They say explicitly to not do it unless there’s a need to do so. From their website:

    Note: If everything works fine with your keyboard. Please don’t update the firmware. There is a chance it can damage your keyboard.

    • chippydingo@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      11·
      3 months ago

      I don’t “need” to really…just noticed that there is a newer version with added functionality and was curious about the process since I had never done it before. I have been using basic keyboards like membrane and chichlet styles but I have been interested in getting a mechanical model for a long time. Finally decided to go for it after having to reset my 13 year old MS curve for the 3rd time this week in order to log into my computer.

      So this also purges one more element of the despicable microslop ecosystem from my life and gives me what is shaping up to be a better typing experience as well. Based on the feedback, it looks like I should just hold off on making any changes until something more groundbreaking or critical needs to be done to my keeb.

  • flamingos-cant (hopepunk arc)@feddit.ukEnglish
    7·
    3 months ago

    Follow the instructions here to install qmk and the stuff it needs. Then go to Keychron’s website (scroll to the ‘Download Firmware and JSON Files’ section) and find your keyboard. You should then have a .bin file. Make sure it’s the right firmware for your model, Keychron have too many models with similar names and installing the wrong firmware will make the keyboard inoperable (not bricked, as it can still be recovered by installing the right firmware).

    You can install this to your keyboard by putting it in DFU mode (remove the space bar and press the small exposed button while plugging the keyboard in) and run the command:

    qmk -b <path to firmware file>
    • wjrii@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      3 months ago

      This. The QMK environment flashing tools are generic and bundled for convenience, so they will work fine even with firmware files that aren’t QMK at all, so long as they’re for your keyboard or chipset. I use them to flash Soarer’s style firmwares on Tuxedo OS.

    • chippydingo@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      Thank you for the detailed response. It will be good to have this information available if the need ever arises to necessitate updating the firmware for a more critical issue or feature. That said, I think I will accept the cautions and hold off on taking this action for now.

  • cecilkorik@piefed.caEnglish
    6·
    3 months ago

    It’s not that hard, you just build and use the qmk software itself, the repo is designed for this and is supposed to work this way. This comment is thorough and exactly correct. The trickiest part was figuring out how to get the keyboard into bootloader mode in the first place, at least on my C2 as several of the suggested methods didn’t work, and I ended up having to take a bunch of keys off to find a magic button hidden underneath that puts it into bootloader mode. Enjoy the world of QMK!

  • wjrii@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    I’m not sure if it’s close enough to work without mucking about, but I understand the Keychron Launcher is just a fork of VIA, which has an Electron app that basically containerizes the web app and makes it easier to have the right permissions.

    I’d also suggest that if you’re not looking for any new features or having any issues or just an incorrigible tinkerer (guilty of this one myself), just leave the firmware be. As mentioned elsewhere though, if it’s QMK, the Linux QMK environment should have all the commands you need to flash the board.