I just got my PinePhone Keyboard and it is a wonderful little computer now.
But I am over my head with setting it up.
I have searched around and found some information like the wiki page.
My first issue is the pine key, it does not do anything and I cannot type -
The other issue is setting up the user-space driver. The wiki has a link to get it but there is no way I can see to download when I go there.
I would really appreciate any help.
Thank you
Silas
I am running Manjaro-ARM with KDE Plasma. I just applied all the pending updates and the keyboard started working.
I seem to remember that only Arch, Manjaro, Mobian and postmarket OS currently support the keyboard. It says something like that in the pine64 store.
I installed Mobian on a new sd card yesterday and applied all the updates, then turned off and put the PinePhone into the keyboard case. For me, that worked. Keys mostly seem fine. (Aware of the complaints about the top row, I was prepared to have to press a little harder to get backspace and numbers, and that seems to work.) Haven't tried charging it yet. And in fact ought to get on with some real work today.
Could you try a fresh system on an sd card in case that makes yours work? And check that pogo pins are making connection, of course. I think there were a few people had to use a shim of some sort to ensure they pressed harder ...
The keyboard works, it just the Pinekey, when I try to type an ! (pinekey+1) I get a 1.
A couple of questions about keys and report of a bug of sorts.
What do the pine cone key (below the Tab key) and the AltG (to the right of the space bar) do? I have tried them with other key combinations to no avail. I was hoping a pine cone + AltG combination shot a powerful laser beam from the torch light on the back of the phone but was sadly disappointed.
A bug: A combination of Fn + 1 should produce a "|" (pipe symbol) but it generates a "\" (backslash) just like a Fn + 2 combination. Maybe there is a fix for this.
Thanks for the responses.
sandspur
Thanks for the keyboard guidance, Sloth.
sandspur
Received the keyboard today. It is pretty neat. I am using it with the Pinephone running mobian. I shutdown Pinephone, inserted Pinephone into keyboard and then started mobian, Keyboard worked immediately.
The keys are too small for typing with 10 fingers. The most comfortable way to type is by holding the entire device in both hands and typing with two thumbs. I wish there was a shift key on the right side, but I will get used to the one shift key on the left. The absence of a speaker to place next to your ear when the case is closed for a phone call makes using it for phone calls with the case closed is a bit weird. Perhaps a solution is using a bluetooth phone headset.
I like that the hinge can be pushed way back so that the screen is nearly 180 degrees making it easy to see the screen while typing. I also like that the keyboard battery charges the phone. I like that the keyboard supports up, down, left, and right. I like the many key combinations for various characters ans symbols.
A lighted keyboard would be nice if it does not drain the battery much.
Note: A few key combinations do not register the correct symbol, which are the Fn 0 and Fn 2. Will have to figure out how to submit feedback.
