With the increased popularity of Linux gaming these days, a patch has been proposed to improve the hardware support for the Logitech G13 gameboard under Linux. The only problem is the hardware is now 16 years old and since been discontinued.
The G13 was an interesting innovation by Logitech in 2009 as basically just a gaming keyboard for your left hand with 25 programmable keys and a mini joystick and a mini LCD display. The Logitech G13 was looked at on Phoronix back in 2009 but the Linux support then required an out-of-tree, user-maintained kernel module for any level of support.
Now 16 years later a patch has been posted to the Linux kernel mailing list that may improve the mainline kernel support for this since-discontinued Logitech gaming device.
Open-sourrce developer Leo Schwab posted a patch again the Linux kernel’s lg-g15 HID driver for better supporting this gaming keypad:
“The Logitech G13 is a gaming keypad with general-purpose macro keys, four LED-backlit macro preset keys, five “menu” keys, backlight toggle key, an analog thumbstick, RGB LED backlight, and a monochrome LCD display.
This patch supports input event generation for all keys, the thumbstick, and exposes all LEDs.”
The patch is now out for review and coomes in at over 400 lines of code for potentially finally seeing better Logitech G13 support in the mainline Linux kernel 16 years after the product release.
