Bootmagic

There are three separate but related features that allow you to change the behavior of your keyboard without reflashing. While each of them have similar functionality, it is accessed in different ways depending on how your keyboard is configured.

Bootmagic is a system for configuring your keyboard while it initializes. To trigger a Bootmagic command, hold down the Bootmagic key and one or more command keys.

Bootmagic Keycodes are prefixed with MAGIC_, and allow you to access the Bootmagic functionality after your keyboard has initialized. To use the keycodes, assign them to your keymap as you would any other keycode.

Command, formerly known as Magic, is another feature that allows you to control different aspects of your keyboard. While it shares some functionality with Bootmagic, it also allows you to do things that Bootmagic does not, such as printing version information to the console. For more information, see Command.

On some keyboards Bootmagic is disabled by default. If this is the case, it must be explicitly enabled in your rules.mk with:

BOOTMAGIC_ENABLE = full

?> You may see yes being used in place of full, and this is okay. However, yes is deprecated, and ideally full (or lite) should be used instead.

Additionally, you can use Bootmagic Lite (a scaled down, very basic version of Bootmagic) by adding the following to your rules.mk file:

BOOTMAGIC_ENABLE = lite

Hotkeys

Hold down the Bootmagic key (Space by default) and the desired hotkey while plugging in your keyboard. For example, holding Space+B should cause it to enter the bootloader.

Hotkey	Description
Escape	Ignore Bootmagic configuration in EEPROM
`B`	Enter the bootloader
`D`	Toggle debugging over serial
`X`	Toggle key matrix debugging
`K`	Toggle keyboard debugging
`M`	Toggle mouse debugging
`L`	Set "Left Hand" for EE_HANDS handedness
`R`	Set "Right Hand" for EE_HANDS handedness
Backspace	Clear the EEPROM
Caps Lock	Toggle treating Caps Lock as Left Control
Left Control	Toggle swapping Caps Lock and Left Control
Left Alt	Toggle swapping Left Alt and Left GUI
Right Alt	Toggle swapping Right Alt and Right GUI
Left GUI	Toggle the GUI keys (useful when gaming)
`	Toggle swapping ` and Escape
`\`	Toggle swapping `\` and Backspace
`N`	Toggle N-Key Rollover (NKRO)
`0`	Make layer 0 the default layer
`1`	Make layer 1 the default layer
`2`	Make layer 2 the default layer
`3`	Make layer 3 the default layer
`4`	Make layer 4 the default layer
`5`	Make layer 5 the default layer
`6`	Make layer 6 the default layer
`7`	Make layer 7 the default layer

Keycodes :id=keycodes

Key	Aliases	Description
`MAGIC_SWAP_CONTROL_CAPSLOCK`	`CL_SWAP`	Swap Caps Lock and Left Control
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_CONTROL_CAPSLOCK`	`CL_NORM`	Unswap Caps Lock and Left Control
`MAGIC_CAPSLOCK_TO_CONTROL`	`CL_CTRL`	Treat Caps Lock as Control
`MAGIC_UNCAPSLOCK_TO_CONTROL`	`CL_CAPS`	Stop treating Caps Lock as Control
`MAGIC_SWAP_LCTL_LGUI`	`LCG_SWP`	Swap Left Control and GUI
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_LCTL_LGUI`	`LCG_NRM`	Unswap Left Control and GUI
`MAGIC_SWAP_RCTL_RGUI`	`RCG_SWP`	Swap Right Control and GUI
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_RCTL_RGUI`	`RCG_NRM`	Unswap Right Control and GUI
`MAGIC_SWAP_CTL_GUI`	`CG_SWAP`	Swap Control and GUI on both sides
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_CTL_GUI`	`CG_NORM`	Unswap Control and GUI on both sides
`MAGIC_TOGGLE_CTL_GUI`	`CG_TOGG`	Toggle Control and GUI swap on both sides
`MAGIC_SWAP_LALT_LGUI`	`LAG_SWP`	Swap Left Alt and GUI
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_LALT_LGUI`	`LAG_NRM`	Unswap Left Alt and GUI
`MAGIC_SWAP_RALT_RGUI`	`RAG_SWP`	Swap Right Alt and GUI
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_RALT_RGUI`	`RAG_NRM`	Unswap Right Alt and GUI
`MAGIC_SWAP_ALT_GUI`	`AG_SWAP`	Swap Alt and GUI on both sides
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_ALT_GUI`	`AG_NORM`	Unswap Alt and GUI on both sides
`MAGIC_TOGGLE_ALT_GUI`	`AG_TOGG`	Toggle Alt and GUI swap on both sides
`MAGIC_NO_GUI`	`GUI_OFF`	Disable the GUI keys
`MAGIC_UNNO_GUI`	`GUI_ON`	Enable the GUI keys
`MAGIC_SWAP_GRAVE_ESC`	`GE_SWAP`	Swap ` and Escape
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_GRAVE_ESC`	`GE_NORM`	Unswap ` and Escape
`MAGIC_SWAP_BACKSLASH_BACKSPACE`	`BS_SWAP`	Swap `\` and Backspace
`MAGIC_UNSWAP_BACKSLASH_BACKSPACE`	`BS_NORM`	Unswap `\` and Backspace
`MAGIC_HOST_NKRO`	`NK_ON`	Enable N-key rollover
`MAGIC_UNHOST_NKRO`	`NK_OFF`	Disable N-key rollover
`MAGIC_TOGGLE_NKRO`	`NK_TOGG`	Toggle N-key rollover
`MAGIC_EE_HANDS_LEFT`	`EH_LEFT`	Set the master half of a split keyboard as the left hand (for `EE_HANDS`)
`MAGIC_EE_HANDS_RIGHT`	`EH_RGHT`	Set the master half of a split keyboard as the right hand (for `EE_HANDS`)

Configuration

If you would like to change the hotkey assignments for Bootmagic, #define these in your config.h at either the keyboard or keymap level.

Define	Default	Description
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SALT`	`KC_SPACE`	The Bootmagic key
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SKIP`	`KC_ESC`	Ignore Bootmagic configuration in EEPROM
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_EEPROM_CLEAR`	`KC_BSPACE`	Clear the EEPROM configuration
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_BOOTLOADER`	`KC_B`	Enter the bootloader
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEBUG_ENABLE`	`KC_D`	Toggle debugging over serial
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEBUG_MATRIX`	`KC_X`	Toggle matrix debugging
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEBUG_KEYBOARD`	`KC_K`	Toggle keyboard debugging
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEBUG_MOUSE`	`KC_M`	Toggle mouse debugging
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_EE_HANDS_LEFT`	`KC_L`	Set "Left Hand" for EE_HANDS handedness
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_EE_HANDS_RIGHT`	`KC_R`	Set "Right Hand" for EE_HANDS handedness
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SWAP_CONTROL_CAPSLOCK`	`KC_LCTRL`	Swap Left Control and Caps Lock
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_CAPSLOCK_TO_CONTROL`	`KC_CAPSLOCK`	Toggle treating Caps Lock as Left Control
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SWAP_LALT_LGUI`	`KC_LALT`	Toggle swapping Left Alt and Left GUI (for macOS)
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SWAP_RALT_RGUI`	`KC_RALT`	Toggle swapping Right Alt and Right GUI (for macOS)
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_NO_GUI`	`KC_LGUI`	Toggle the GUI keys (useful when gaming)
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SWAP_GRAVE_ESC`	`KC_GRAVE`	Toggle swapping ` and Escape
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_SWAP_BACKSLASH_BACKSPACE`	`KC_BSLASH`	Toggle swapping `\` and Backspace
`BOOTMAGIC_HOST_NKRO`	`KC_N`	Toggle N-Key Rollover (NKRO)
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_0`	`KC_0`	Make layer 0 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_1`	`KC_1`	Make layer 1 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_2`	`KC_2`	Make layer 2 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_3`	`KC_3`	Make layer 3 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_4`	`KC_4`	Make layer 4 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_5`	`KC_5`	Make layer 5 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_6`	`KC_6`	Make layer 6 the default layer
`BOOTMAGIC_KEY_DEFAULT_LAYER_7`	`KC_7`	Make layer 7 the default layer

Bootmagic Lite :id=bootmagic-lite

In addition to the full blown Bootmagic feature, is the Bootmagic Lite feature that only handles jumping into the bootloader. This is great for boards that don't have a physical reset button but you need a way to jump into the bootloader, and don't want to deal with the headache that Bootmagic can cause.

To enable this version of Bootmagic, you need to enable it in your rules.mk with:

BOOTMAGIC_ENABLE = lite

Additionally, you may want to specify which key to use. This is especially useful for keyboards that have unusual matrices. To do so, you need to specify the row and column of the key that you want to use. Add these entries to your config.h file:

#define BOOTMAGIC_LITE_ROW 0
#define BOOTMAGIC_LITE_COLUMN 1

By default, these are set to 0 and 0, which is usually the "ESC" key on a majority of keyboards.

And to trigger the bootloader, you hold this key down when plugging the keyboard in. Just the single key.

!> Using bootmagic lite will always reset the EEPROM, so you will lose any settings that have been saved.

Split Keyboards

When handedness is predetermined via an option like SPLIT_HAND_PIN, you might need to configure a different key between halves. To do so, add these entries to your config.h file:

#define BOOTMAGIC_LITE_ROW_RIGHT 4
#define BOOTMAGIC_LITE_COLUMN_RIGHT 1

By default, these values are not set.

Advanced Bootmagic Lite

The bootmagic_lite function is defined weakly, so that you can replace this in your code, if you need. A great example of this is the Zeal60 boards that have some additional handling needed.

To replace the function, all you need to do is add something like this to your code:

void bootmagic_lite(void) {
    matrix_scan();
    wait_ms(DEBOUNCE * 2);
    matrix_scan();

    if (matrix_get_row(BOOTMAGIC_LITE_ROW) & (1 << BOOTMAGIC_LITE_COLUMN)) {
      // Jump to bootloader.
      bootloader_jump();
    }
}

You can additional feature here. For instance, resetting the eeprom or requiring additional keys to be pressed to trigger bootmagic. Keep in mind that bootmagic_lite is called before a majority of features are initialized in the firmware.

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