Getting started with Atreus

I got my Atreus out of the drawer and want to modify my layout.
Crysalis is terrible and it just makes me frustrated (sorry)

What I really want is a commandline setup, where I can clone a github repo, modify a ino file and hit make flash until I am happy. But I can’t find any instructions on how to do that.

So that leaves me with no option but to RTFM. Followed the instructions on how to Download and install Arduino on my M1 Mac.

I have my set to Atreus and the port too.
I found the example layout and I saved it as Lasse.ino.
I can compile the layout. If I try to upload it without holding the prog key, arduino will complain.
If I upload while holding the prog, arduino will report a success
BUT the layout is still the same…

What can I do?

2 Likes

Frustration is the worst user experience !

I find the doc straight forward, and don’t get much trouble to flash my keyboard without the Arduino IDE, so if the doc miss something, we must improve it :memo:

If something goes bad here, please report it so it can be investigate (M1 Mac seems to reserve some surprises for users)

$ cd ${HOME}/git
$ git clone https://github.com/keyboardio/Kaleidoscope
$ cd ${HOME}/git/Kaleidoscope
$ make setup
$ export KALEIDOSCOPE_DIR=${HOME}/git/Kaleidoscope
$ cd examples/Devices/Keyboardio/Atreus
$ ### Edit the .ino files ###
$ make compile
$ make flash # Pressing the prog key

The missing part may be the need to reset the eeprom if Chrysalis was used to modify the layouts :thinking:

For the Chrysalis unfriendly experience, feel free to write a word about what you like/dislike, this may just be a Graphical VS. Cli way of life, but things can eventually be improved at a point :slight_smile:

Happy Hacking :hammer_and_wrench:
Romain

I agree. Those were the docs I was looking for!

They don’t work out of the box though.
I had to:

But then I was able to run make compile && make flash

Yes, flashing “works” but it still doesn’t do anything. I tried using Chysalis when I first got the keyboard in June, so I have probably used it to flash it the last time I did anything.

I will see if I can find out how to reset, after I post this.

What I found truly frustrating about Chysalis VS working with the ino file, is that in the file I can visually see the all the keyboard layers at once. With Chysalis I had to click a key to see all the layers. I wish Chysalis would show a keyboard pr. layer in the UI, so you can just scroll up and down. Also in the texteditor I can cut and paste between keys. And finally I like that I can commit my work and publish it to my github account. I don’t know how or where Chrysalis is storing its files.

I can confirm that after a firmware update with the reset option and holding the prog key, I am now able to work with my configuration.

Thank you so much for helping out

1 Like

I really had not looked at the ino files before, grateful for this thread as it led me to them. From that doc I feel like I may begin to wrap more of my brain around layers.

I do feel like I am missing something - why would I want to work on the ino directly vs. editing the json and using that as my interface to the keyboard?

I wouldn’t say Chrysalis is terrible, but yeah, I did get frustrated with in when I just got my Atreus (a year ago now?), and there was some features I wanted to use, that it didn’t support yet. So I installed QMK as my Atreus firmware, and super happy with it. I use a Ergodox too, for many years now, so I could easily translate the basic part of my existing layout to Atreus. I don’t see any need to move back to Chrysalis (though I have seen and read that is has improved over the year).

Chrisalys is the graphical tool for Kaleidoscope. It aims to be simple and accessible : plug your keyboard, run the app, and you can move your keys where you want, playing with layers and leds. You can also easily update the firmware to have the latest improvements.

On tthe other hand, kaleidoscope lets you confugure and fine tune every thing you want, but it needs a compiler and basic knoledges of programming and degugging.

So the question could be «are you happy with what Chrysalis povide, or do you want to improve you skills for even more possibilities ?»

Happy hacking ! :hammer_and_wrench:

1 Like

Got it - mucking with the JSON is still limited by what is available via Chrisalys. Thanks for the explanation!