Bépo compatible keymap for the Ergodox EZ, TypeMatrix style.

This repository host a couple of BÉPO layouts for Ergodox keyboards.

This is a QMK userspace repo. See the QMK documentation on how to use it: https://docs.qmk.fm/#/newbs_external_userspace

The keymap here is meant to be used with a Bépo layout. It is designed to be somewhat similar to a TypeMatrix keyboard so that switching between one and the other is easy.

The keymap image above is generated using http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com.

You can download the keymap on the releases page or you can build it yourself.

Building the firmware

Set up your python environment

sudo apt-get install pipx
pipx install qmk
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/mkende/ergodox_bepo_tm_style.git
cd ergodox_bepo_tm_style
qmk setup

During the qmk setup, choose to keep the current qmk_firmware and to continue.

Then, you can build the firmware with the following command if you have a legacy Ergodox EZ keyboard:

qmk compile -j 12 -kb ergodox_ez -km bepo_tm_style

Or, if you have a newer STM32 based one, you can use the following command:

qmk compile -j 12 -kb zsa/ergodox_ez/stm32 -km bepo_tm_style

See the QMK Guide for more details.

The firmware can then be flashed with the following command for example:

teensy_loader_cli --mcu=TEENSY2 -w ergodox_ez_base_bepo_tm_style.hex

Which requires the Teensy CLI program.

OS Specific behavior

The layout has some OS specific behavior:

• On MacOS, it uses ctrl+c/x/v for copy/cut/paste, instead of the older shortcut used on other systems (which have the advantage of not depending on the current keymap). So the shortcut function will work only with a Bépo layout at the system level.

  In addition, the sleep function is sent with gui+shift+power.

  Note that it is expected that you will switch the gui (command) and control keys at the OS level when using this keyboard layout on a MacOS.

• On Linux, the sleep function is sent with ctrl+shift+L which locks the computer on most systems (otherwise a shortcut can be added in the settings of your Window Manager).

• On Windows, the sleep function is sent with the Sleep media key.

Variants

Keyboard

The layouts can be built with the zsa/ergodox_ez/m32u4 keyboard (which is the default for zsa/ergodox_ez or even just ergodox_ez). This is the legacy Ergodox EZ keyboards, pre-2024, using a Teensy-like MCU.

Otherwise, the layouts can be built for the zsa/ergodox_ez/stm32 keyboard which correspond to the more recent models, using a STM32 MCU. Note that the layout code is completely shared between the two keyboards but, technically, the stm32 variant uses the layouts defined in the keyboards/zsa/ergodox_ez folder intead of the keyboards/ergodox_ez folder used by the legacy variants.

The layout is meant to work with an Ergodox EZ original (neither shine nor glow). However it will probably work with them too.

Keymaps

The _left_handed variant of the keymap swap the macro key (on the right thumb cluster) with the swap-hand key (on the left thumb cluster). So that the keyboard can be used entirely with the right hand if you are using the mouse with your left hand.