# qmk/qmk_firmware

Open-source keyboard firmware for Atmel AVR and Arm USB families

Repository: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/qmk_firmware
Homepage: https://qmk.fm
Language: C
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: keyboard-firmware, c, olkb, ergodox-ez, clueboard, qmk, keyboard-support, c-plus-plus, atmel-avr
Last push: 2026-08-26T07:26:06+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4286, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 20659, forks 44243 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:30.305870+00:00)

## What it is
QMK (Quantum Mechanical Keyboard) is open-source firmware for custom keyboards and other input devices, supporting Atmel AVR and ARM USB microcontrollers. It powers over 3000 keyboards with fully customizable keymaps, layers, and features, configurable via a graphical configurator or directly in C.

## Use cases
- flash custom firmware onto a mechanical keyboard
- remap keys and create custom keymaps for my keyboard
- configure layers and macros on an ErgoDox EZ or Planck
- build firmware for a handwired or custom keyboard
- customize RGB lighting and encoder behavior on a keyboard
- support for mice and MIDI input devices

## When to choose
- you want deep, code-level customization of keyboard behavior
- your keyboard is one of the 3000+ supported boards or you're building your own
- you need layers, macros, tap-hold, or advanced features beyond stock firmware

## When to avoid
- you want a simple GUI-only remapping tool with no compilation (consider VIA/Remap with QMK-based boards)
- your keyboard only supports proprietary manufacturer firmware
- you're not comfortable flashing firmware, which carries a small risk of bricking

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: embedded, configuration-management, developer-tools
- domain: hardware, embedded-systems, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: embedded, c, cpp, windows
- tags: keyboard-firmware, qmk, mechanical-keyboards, atmel-avr, arm, keymaps, input-devices, ergodox, olkb, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- qmk/qmk_firmware (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:30.305870+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:58:34.808262+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:30.305870+00:00, sha 1d31f01380c0)
  - homepage: https://qmk.fm (fetched 2026-08-29T07:57:14.879269+00:00, sha 19e850bdc23c)
  - site_page: https://docs.qmk.fm (fetched 2026-08-29T07:57:14.888941+00:00, sha 9c5b37c789db)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.