I have asked Contour support and they said it is not supported. This is their reply.
Our keyboard does not have a dedicated Linux mode.
It has a Windows and Mac mode - and if you can run some compatibility with this, I assume you can make it work, but they do not have specific support for Linux.
Itās not supported because there is no such thing as āLinux modeā (and these Windows and Mac mode are just different layouts, nothing more, you can use both on Linux). All keyboards should work flawlessly under Linux but you may not be able to customize backlight or other fancy features. O it will be possibile but most likely without fancy gui
There were 24 results, 23 of which were for mice, and one result for āinput/keyboard - Contour Receiverā:
As Contour sell only 1 type of keyboard, I think we can safely assume that the keyboard you are considering purchasing will work on Manjaro (or any Linux system).
We donāt encourage requests for hardware recommendations.
However, I will mention that I personally use a Logitech keyboard which works as expected in BSD, Linux and MacOS despite it being targetted at the Windows user market.
This keyboard does not have any fancy features, however the F keys replaced with media keys (media keys are on by default) is big plus for me as I hardly use the F keys.
The only worry I have is when booting into the motherboard Setup/BIOS, this might not work as well using F8 to quick boot as media keys are on by default. I am not too bothered about F8 (I would like to keep the F8 function though) as I can just use boot from device within the BIOS.
Should work with Fn + F8, at least in Windows mode.
AFAIK Mac keyboards send Fn to the computer. With Windows keyboards itās internal so it just sends a different scancode.
Not sure, but Iāve never had a Logitech not work. Having said that, every other brand Iāve tried works too. Keyboards and mice are pretty standard.
Itās really only programmable keyboards/mice you need to worry about, or ones which require software for some features. The software is usually only made for Windows, and maybe Mac. However there could be reverse-engineered open source software to make it work, so check before buying.
AFAIK some fancy gaming keyboards might use non-standard scancodes, which may or may not be a problem.
As long as it uses standard scancodes, at worst youād just need a custom config. The input system is designed to be flexible, to work with whatās available (which also makes every keyboard programmable on the computer side).
Microsoft and Apple can dictate the design, Linux canāt.
Well, Iāve had this particular keyboard for possibly a decade longer than is generally recommended; maybe 14/15 years, in all; I donāt think Linux even came into the equation.
Regarding the Function / Media toggleā¦ it varies by model, but there is usually a way to toggle the default via Logitech software; and there are a few Linux equivilents to that.
I use Solaar which is conveniently available from the official Manjaro repositories:
sudo pacman -Syu solaar
Itās made to work with Logitech USB Unifying Receivers, so you could also pair a mouse with the same Receiver. The devices directory on the GitHub page lists various devices and the functionalities it supports.
The Contour Balance Keyboard is not designed to be a gaming keyboard, however it still can be used as one.
There is Contour-specific software that allows the user to customise both Contour keyboards and mice but I will not be using them as Manjaro itself has options that are more than sufficient.
This depends on DE and how keyboard sends signals. On my example, I have 2 keyboards one laptop builtin, one external, both with fn and media keys
With laptop keyboard in KDE eg. fn+f1 will mute audio, in Hyprland fn not working (sends some keycode but Iām not able to catch it correctly or donāt know how to do it)
With external keyboard in both DE both keys works properly - fn+f1 mute, f1 - editor command palette, keyboard is in Windows mode and fn donāt send any keycodes to system
Imagine a lot of very stupid people shoppingā¦ They feel instant familiarity if they see a Windows Logoā¦ or for the stupid but Rich folks, thatāll be a Mac logo enabling you to pay an extra 40% for the exact same quality keyboard
Canāt advise - Iād prefer a Royal Kludge S98, 'cos itās sexy, hot swappable (i.e. easy to fix) and not very loud with a choice of key switches (and the option to upgrade to āsilentā by buying silent switches down the line).
Those PBT keys are just lovely, and I love the knob (though I wish it was more configurable in terms of functions).
You must be certain of this, especially for any extra functionality to hopefully work as expected. Again, we note that Contour does not list any Linux software for the purpose.
Let me highlight the importance of this factor alone:
If there is no existing Linux software available, there is also nothing to reverse-engineer or repackage to have it work with various Linux distributions. Possibly the Mac software might be re-engineered or the Windows software (via WINE) could be leveraged to some kind of workable outcome, but judging by the apparent lack of packages available for this brand for any Linux distribution, Iād guess nobody has found it worth their effort.
So, when shopping for any peripheral to be used with a Linux system, itās imperative to first know that the support (in this case, the specialised software) exists for it, not only in Linux generally, but for your specific distribution; and, it doesnāt seem to.
This evitable question is one of the very reasons we discourage these types of threads.
As a User, all I can suggest is to buy a keyboard with known (Linux) support for additional features. Again, for me, it was Logitech; my device remains supported by Solaar (see the devices list linked earlier) even after all these years.
There may (or may not) be anything similar to Solaar for other brands. If I were shopping for a new keyboard, Iād likely avoid that particular brand (for all the reasons already outlined) and find something else. With Logitech, at least thereās a known quantity; you now have a list of models (supported by Solaar) which might assist your research.
If I really liked it by the description but not actually had put my hands on it,
my question would be:
What is their return policy - in the case I donāt like it once I actually get to see and touch and try it / use it?
ā¦ does the stated reason for a return need to be the actual reason?
Would it cost me anything or how much would it set me back to try it and return it in case I didnāt like it for any reason? (would be my actual reasoning)
ā¦ would it be worth (for me) possibly having to pay a return fee or whatever
in exchange for being able to actually have it and try it?
Right I will not actually be using the software from Contourās website and I am sure the Fn keys do not require the software. Application Shortcuts (Xfce only?) will be used to assign the hotkeys.
Switching between Windows and Mac mode is done through key presses as shown in the manual. This i assume does not require the software neither.
I have the Logitech VX Nano mouse which works flawlessly. I also have the Keysonic KSK-8021U (wired) which I initially used in Windows and now use in Linux which also works flawlessly.
I could go Logitech for my keyboard however the ones on the website are not to my liking. I assume legacy Logitech keyboards are also supported within Linux.
That right there is a huge red flag and would immediately turn me off of it.
(unless Iād be willing to really gamble the ~50 bucks for that keyboard - which Iād not be willing to do)
ok.
True that. Everywhere I go online, I ALWAYS see Windows and Mac, Windows and Mac with Linux FAR, FAR behind.
