Reverse engeneering a Keyboard software (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Im currently trying to get my Keyboards software to work on linux, but since that won‘t be a thing, like ever, im trying to Reverse engineer the software in order to copy the get and set requests the Software sends over USB and send them over a Python Script using libUSB, so I can control it independent of OS

So I set up my Wireshark with a USB snooper and started using the software

Only problem: Since I have no idea how a Keyboard usually communicates, so I have no idea what to look for. Can someone recommend me some already reverse engeneered FOSS Keyboard software as an example? (Like the wooting software, if its even OSS)

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I reversed engineered a keyboard for a presentation in uni. I’ll drop you an excerpt of a written review:

Resources used I learned the USB protocol from this (the relevant parts I needed). We’re thinking of including some basic understanding of the USB protocol in the slides. https://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb6.shtml I got an idea of what could be going on from the following link, specifically the section I’ve set. https://github.com/openrazer/openrazer/wiki/Reverse-Engineering-USB-Protocol#phase-4%E2%80%94decoding-the-protocol I deciphered the protocol using the USBHID packets that would be sent. I was highly sure it was USBHID from a pointer from another Linux community member, but this article was my third source to confirming this. https://hackaday.com/2020/04/14/reverse-engineering-an-rgb-keyboard-under-linux/ One of the sources for information to develop these procedures was from the openRGB wiki. This stream has to do with reversing using URB. I find this might be out of scope, and it would’ve been way tougher to reverse engineer with this.

Feel free to ask as needed here. Spam the requests on the software while monitoring wireshark to be sure of what is what.

The other large comment by “taaz” is also very useful and parts of which I did use while reverse engineering.

this post was submitted on 28 May 2025

39 points (93.3% liked)

Linux

54491 readers

536 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 6 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]