Computer

Keycron Keyboards

Keychron Mechanical Keyboards Reference Guide

This guide details operating modes, Bluetooth pairing, RGB/LED light controls, default hotkeys, QMK/VIA customization, and Sway WM configuration for Keychron Mechanical Keyboards (K Series, Q Series, V Series, Pro Series).

1. Bluetooth Pairing & Switch Control

Toggle Switches (Side / Rear Panel)

Bluetooth Device Pairing & Switching

Keychron keyboards support up to 3 host devices:

2. LED Light & Backlight Controls

Keychron keyboards feature dedicated hardware keys and Fn shortcuts to control RGB/White backlighting:

Basic Backlight Controls

Brightness & Speed Adjustments

3. Core Hotkeys & Functional Shortcuts

Multimedia & Function Keys (F1 – F12)

System Shortcuts & Troubleshooting

4. QMK / VIA Customization

Keychron Q Series, V Series, and Pro Series models support real-time remapping via VIA:

  1. Access Configurator: Open usevia.app or caniusevia.com in a WebHID-compatible browser (Chrome/Edge/Brave).
  2. Layer Mapping:
    • Layer 0: Mac Base (Default Mac keys)
    • Layer 1: Mac Fn (Mac shortcuts & media keys)
    • Layer 2: Windows Base (Default Win/Linux keys)
    • Layer 3: Windows Fn (Windows shortcuts & lighting)
  3. Important Note for Windows/Linux Users: When the physical switch is set to Win/Android, VIA edits must be made on Layer 2 and Layer 3 for changes to take effect.
  4. Linux Udev Permissions: To allow Chrome/Chromium WebHID access to /dev/hidraw*, create /etc/udev/rules.d/50-keychron.rules: 
    KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="3434", MODE="0666", TAG+="uaccess"
    Reload udev rules: 
    sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

5. Sway WM / Linux (Arch & Debian) Configuration

This section covers setting up Keychron keyboards, function keys (F1–F12), rotary knobs, and custom buttons under the Sway window manager on Arch Linux and Debian / Ubuntu.

5.1 Required Package Installation

Install the recommended utilities for audio, brightness, media control, screenshots, and event debugging:

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S --needed \
  wireplumber \
  pipewire-audio \
  brightnessctl \
  playerctl \
  grim \
  slurp \
  wl-clipboard \
  wev

Debian / Ubuntu:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y \
  wireplumber \
  pipewire-audio-client-libraries \
  brightnessctl \
  playerctl \
  grim \
  slurp \
  wl-clipboard \
  wev

5.2 Kernel Apple/Keychron Driver Options (hid_apple)

If top-row function keys trigger media keys instead of standard F1–F12 (or vice-versa), configure the hid_apple kernel module:

Create or edit /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf:

options hid_apple fnmode=2

Regenerate initramfs and reboot:

5.3 Debugging Key Signals (wev)

To identify keycodes emitted by the rotary knob or custom PlayStation/macro buttons under Wayland/Sway:

wev

Press or turn the control while focusing the wev window. Note the reported XKB keysym name (e.g. XF86AudioRaiseVolume, XF86AudioPlay) or numeric keycode.

5.4 Modular Sway Configuration (include)

Sway natively supports the include directive to organize keybindings into dedicated configuration files.

Add the include directive in ~/.config/sway/config:

include config.d/*

Create ~/.config/sway/config.d/keychron.conf and populate it with your keyboard bindings:

# ==============================================================================
# Keychron Keyboard & Function Key Bindings for Sway
# Location: ~/.config/sway/config.d/keychron.conf
# ==============================================================================

# --- Volume & Rotary Knob Controls ---
# Knob Clockwise: Volume Up
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 5%+
# Knob Counter-Clockwise: Volume Down
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 5%-
# Knob Click: Mute Audio
bindsym XF86AudioMute        exec wpctl set-mute @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ toggle
# Microphone Mute (if mapped)
bindsym XF86AudioMicMute     exec wpctl set-mute @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SOURCE@ toggle

# --- Media Playback Controls ---
# Play / Pause Toggle
bindsym XF86AudioPlay        exec playerctl play-pause
bindsym XF86AudioPause       exec playerctl pause
# Next Track
bindsym XF86AudioNext        exec playerctl next
# Previous Track
bindsym XF86AudioPrev        exec playerctl previous
# Stop Playback
bindsym XF86AudioStop        exec playerctl stop

# --- Display & Keyboard Backlight Brightness ---
# Screen Brightness Up / Down (F1 / F2 or dedicated keys)
bindsym XF86MonBrightnessUp   exec brightnessctl set +5%
bindsym XF86MonBrightnessDown exec brightnessctl set 5%-

# Keyboard LED Backlight (Hardware controlled or software via brightnessctl)
bindsym XF86KbdBrightnessUp   exec brightnessctl --device='*kbd*' set +10%
bindsym XF86KbdBrightnessDown exec brightnessctl --device='*kbd*' set 10%-

# --- Screenshots & Special Function Keys ---
# Screenshot Key / Keychron Camera Key
bindsym Print                      exec grim -g "$(slurp)" - | wl-copy
bindsym XF86SelectiveScreenshot    exec grim -g "$(slurp)" - | wl-copy

# App Launchers / Search / Calculator Keys
bindsym XF86Calculator             exec foot -e python3
bindsym XF86Search                 exec rofi -show drun
bindsym XF86Launch1                exec rofi -show drun

# --- Custom Knob & PlayStation / Macro Buttons (Remapped via VIA) ---
# If remapped in VIA to send unused function keys (F13 - F24):
# Example: Rotary Knob mapped to Screen Brightness (F13/F14)
bindsym F13 exec brightnessctl set 5%-
bindsym F14 exec brightnessctl set +5%

# Example: PlayStation / Novelty Macro Buttons (F15 - F18)
bindsym F15 exec foot
bindsym F16 exec rofi -show drun
bindsym F17 exec swaymsg workspace 1
bindsym F18 exec swaymsg workspace 2

5.5 Modifier Combinations with the Rotary Knob

You can bind modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt/Mod1, Shift, Super/Mod4) combined with knob rotation or press in ~/.config/sway/config.d/keychron.conf:

# --- Unmodified Knob Turn: Volume ---
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 5%+
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 5%-
bindsym XF86AudioMute        exec wpctl set-mute @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ toggle

# --- Alt + Knob Turn: Screen Brightness ---
bindsym Mod1+XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec brightnessctl set +5%
bindsym Mod1+XF86AudioLowerVolume exec brightnessctl set 5%-

# --- Ctrl + Knob Turn: Track Prev / Next ---
bindsym Control+XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec playerctl next
bindsym Control+XF86AudioLowerVolume exec playerctl previous
bindsym Control+XF86AudioMute        exec playerctl play-pause

# --- Shift + Knob Turn: Switch Sway Workspaces ---
bindsym Shift+XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec swaymsg workspace next
bindsym Shift+XF86AudioLowerVolume exec swaymsg workspace prev

Reload Sway config after editing:

swaymsg reload

Keyboards

Home Office: Keychron Q6 Pro 2026-08-07 / Gateron Banana grey.jpg

Personal Desktop: Keychron Q6 QMK 2023-11-07 / Gateron G Pro Brown desktop.jpg

Studio: Keychron Q6 Pro 2023-11-07 / K Pro Banana studio.jpg

Portable: Keychron C1 87 Key TKL Wired 2025-03-20 / Gateron Brown

Work Office: Keychron Q6 QMK 2024-09-06 / Gateron G Pro Brown

arch notes

install

arch-chroot base linux linux-firmware neovim tmux gdm3 sway grub networkmanager git sudo base-devel wl-clipboard

amd-ucode intel-ucode

iwctl station wlan0 connect arikui.org

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=GRUB

mkdir -p /boot/grub && grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

nvidia

enable multilib in /etc/pacman.conf

sudo pacman -S --needed
intel-media-driver libva-intel-driver mesa
nvidia-open nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils
egl-wayland nvidia-prime mesa-utils

edit /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf

options nvidia-drm modeset=1 fbdev=1

Edit /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

MODULES=(intel_agp i915 nvidia nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm)

mkinitcpio -P

add env vars:

mkdir -p ~/.config/environment.d

get intel card id

$ echo /dev/dri/by-path/"$(ls -1 /dev/dri/by-path/ | grep 00:02.0-card)"
/dev/dri/by-path/pci-0000:00:02.0-card

edit ~/.config/environment.d/sway.conf

use that id as WLR_DRM_DEVICES

# Force wlroots to render Sway on the Intel GPU
WLR_DRM_DEVICES=/dev/dri/by-path/pci-0000:00:02.0-card

# Prevent invisible mouse cursor glitches on NVIDIA Wayland sessions
WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS=1

# Enable Wayland support in EGL/Vulkan apps
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland
GBM_BACKEND=nvidia-drm
__GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia

verify

$ glxinfo | grep "OpenGL vendor"
OpenGL vendor string: Intel
$ prime-run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL vendor"
OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation

fix sway bitching

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/wayland-sessions
sudo cp /usr/share/wayland-sessions/sway.desktop /usr/local/share/wayland-sessions/

edit /usr/local/share/wayland-sessions/sway.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Sway
Comment=An i3-compatible Wayland compositor
Exec=sway --unsupported-gpu
Type=Application
DesktopNames=sway

run anything "nvidia" with prime-run

looking for binaries:

Sat Sep 19 22:25:21 kikuo.drheck.dev:~
$ sudo pacman -Fy
:: Synchronizing package databases...
 core                              1494.0 KiB  2.69 MiB/s 00:01 [###################################] 100%
 extra                               48.6 MiB  11.6 MiB/s 00:04 [###################################] 100%
 multilib                           105.5 KiB   831 KiB/s 00:00 [###################################] 100%
Sat Sep 19 22:25:57 kikuo.drheck.dev:~
$ pacman -F wl-copy
extra/wl-clipboard 1:2.3.0-1
    usr/bin/wl-copy
    usr/share/bash-completion/completions/wl-copy

Steam Streaming

This guide covers how to stream games from the headless server gaming stack to any thin client, laptop, mobile device, or TV.

The host runs Sunshine on top of Steam-Headless, accelerated by the server's AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 (hardware-accelerated AV1, HEVC, and H.264 video encoding via VA-API). Clients connect using the open-source Moonlight GameStream client.

Server & Connection Details

Universal Pairing Process

Every Moonlight client connects via mutual TLS certificates authenticated once with a 4-digit PIN:

  1. Launch Moonlight on your client device.
  2. Click the + (Add Host) button (or select sunshine if discovered via mDNS).
  3. Enter sunshine.drheck.dev (or the internal IP 10.0.0.112 if on local LAN).
  4. Moonlight will display a random 4-digit PIN (e.g. 4821).
  5. Open a browser to https://sunshine.drheck.dev/pin and log in with your akadmin Authentik account.
  6. Enter the 4-digit PIN and give your client a friendly name.
  7. Click Send. The lock icon on Moonlight will turn into a green checkmark, showing your available applications (Desktop, Steam Big Picture).

Client Setup Instructions

1. Arch Linux (Desktop / Laptop / Handheld)

Installation

Moonlight is available in the official Arch repositories:

sudo pacman -S moonlight-qt

(Optional gamepad support packages):

# For Xbox Wireless controllers over Bluetooth
sudo pacman -S xpadneo-dkms

# For PlayStation DualSense / DualShock controllers
sudo pacman -S linux-firmware

Configuration & Tuning

  1. Open Moonlight Settings (Gear Icon):
    • Resolution: Match your monitor natively (e.g., 1920x1080, 2560x1440, or 3840x2160).
    • Frame Rate: Set to 60 FPS or 120 FPS depending on your screen refresh rate.
    • Video Bitrate:
      • 1080p60: 20–30 Mbps
      • 1440p60/120: 40–60 Mbps
      • 4K60/120: 60–80 Mbps
    • Video Codec: Choose Automatic or force HEVC / AV1 (the R9700 encodes AV1 and HEVC with ultra-low latency).
    • Hardware Acceleration: Set to VA-API or VDPAU depending on your client GPU.

2. Android (Phones & Tablets)

Installation

Controller Support

Configuration & Tuning

  1. Open Settings in Moonlight:
    • Display Resolution: Select Native resolution or 1080p.
    • Framerate: Match your phone screen (60 FPS, 90 FPS, or 120 FPS for high-refresh AMOLED panels).
    • Video Decoder: Set to Hardware decoding and enable Prefer HEVC/H.265.
    • Stretch to fit: Enable if your phone has a 19.5:9 or 20:9 ultrawide aspect ratio and you want to eliminate black bars (or leave unchecked for pixel-perfect 16:9).
    • Touch Mode: Select Trackpad Mode for desktop navigation or Touchscreen Mode for direct tap interactions.

3. iPad / iOS

Installation

Controller Support

iPad-Specific Tuning

  1. Open Moonlight on the iPad and tap Settings:
    • Resolution: iPads have a 4:3 / 3:2 aspect ratio. You can pick:
      • 1920x1080 or 2560x1440 (standard 16:9 with letterboxing).
      • Custom Resolution: Enter your iPad's exact panel resolution (e.g. 2048x1536 or 2388x1668) for a full-screen, edge-to-edge experience without black bars.
    • Frame Rate: If using an iPad Pro with ProMotion, select 120 FPS.
    • HDR: If using an iPad Pro with an XDR Liquid Retina display, enable HDR in Moonlight settings for 10-bit color.
    • Mouse & Keyboard: iPadOS supports Bluetooth mice and magic keyboards. Enable Optimize mouse for remote desktop in settings for zero mouse acceleration.

4. Google TV / Android TV (Chromecast, Shield TV, Smart TVs)

Installation

Controller Support

TV-Specific Optimizations

  1. Open Moonlight on your TV and open Settings:
    • Resolution: Select 1080p (for Chromecast 4K or 1080p dongles) or 4K (for NVIDIA Shield or high-performance TV SoCs).
    • Frame Rate: Set to 60 FPS.
    • Frame Pacing: Set to Prefer smoothest video. This reduces micro-stutters caused by TV display buffer mismatches.
    • Audio Configuration:
      • Set to Stereo for TV speakers or soundbars.
      • Set to 5.1 Surround Sound if your TV connects to an AV receiver or multi-channel eARC sound system.
    • Network: For optimal results with 4K streaming on TVs, use a 5GHz Wi-Fi band or an Ethernet adapter.

Available Applications

App Entry Description Ideal For
Steam Big Picture Launches Steam directly in controller-friendly Big Picture UI Gaming with Xbox / PS gamepads on TV or handheld
Desktop Opens full Xfce Linux desktop on virtual display :55 Keyboard & mouse games, emulators, web apps

To add custom games, scripts, or emulators, navigate to https://sunshine.drheck.dev/apps and click + Add.

Essential Navigation Shortcuts

Action Keyboard Shortcut Gamepad Shortcut
Quit Stream Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Q Hold Start + Select + L1 + R1 for 3 seconds
Toggle Fullscreen Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F11 —
Capture / Release Mouse Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Z —
Show Stream Stats (FPS, Ping, Loss) Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S —
Send Ctrl+Alt+Del Ctrl + Alt + Shift + D —