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Open Hardware/Modding: Mecha Comet, Raspberry Pi, and More
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CNX Software ☛ Mecha Comet is an open-source hardware, modular GNU/Linux handheld computer (Crowdfunding)
Mecha Comet open-source hardware modular GNU/Linux handheld computer can be used as a gaming console, a GNU/Linux terminal, an electronic measurement tool, and more, thanks to a 40-pin magnetic expansion connector for modules such as a gamepad, a QWERTY keyboard, a 40-pin GPIO header, and more. The Mecha Comet is powered by an NXP i.MX 8M Plus or i.MX 95 Arm SoC, ships with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB flash, but also supports MicroSD and NVMe storage. It also features a 3.91-inch touchscreen display, a mini HDMI 2.1 port, an 8MP camera, a dual-mic array and a speaker, a 3.5mm audio jack, WiFi 5 and optional 4G LTE/5G cellular connectivity, as well as a few USB-C ports and built-in sensors.
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Gunnar Wolf ☛ Gunnar Wolf: Finally some light for those who care about Debian on the Raspberry Pi
Finally, some light at the end of the tunnel!
As I have said in this blog and elsewhere, after putting quite a bit of work into generating the Debian Raspberry Pi images between late 2018 and 2023, I had to recognize I don’t have the time and energy to properly care for it.
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Hackaday ☛ Wireless MIDI Controller Has Lots Of Knobs
The controller can be built using the Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico 2. It’s set up to read a 4×4 array of clickable encoders, plus two bonus control knobs to make 18 in total, which are read via a 74HC4067 analog mux chip. There’s also an SK6812 RGB LED for each encoder, and an OLED display for showing status information. MIDI output is via USB, or, if you purchased the W variant of the Pi Pico/Pico 2, it can operate wirelessly over Bluetooth MIDI instead. The controller is set up to send MIDI CC messages, program changes, or note on/off messages depending on its configuration. Flipping through different modes is handled with the bottom set of encoders and the OLED display.
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Quentin Santos ☛ Asynchronous I²C in C
I have a RP2350 and an SSD1306 module. I want to use the former to display stuff on the latter. The most common modules are connected over I²C: [...]
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Hannah Robertson ☛ Telegraph Key(singular)board: Morse for the modern era
The Key(singular)board has two modes: “raw” and “alphanumeric”. In raw mode, the telegraph key’s state—pressed or unpressed—is segmented into a series of dot, dash, and space keystrokes. In alphanumeric mode, those dots and dashes are translated from Morse code into their corresponding alphanumeric character keystrokes. As a user, the raw mode acts as training wheels to calibrate against how tap durations translate into dots, dashes, and inter-tap pauses.5
Update
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Mecha Comet modular Linux handheld hits Kickstarter for $189 and up
The Mecha Comet is a modular handheld Linux computer featuring a modular input section below a 3.92 inch AMOLED display, allowing you to swap out a QWERTY keyboard for a gamepad, I/O board, or other modules.
After first introducing the device a year ago, the makers of the Mecha Comet have now launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign with Early Bird reward levels starting at $189 for an entry-level model.
Adding Two:
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I love this Linux handheld computer, and you can help fund it right now
Over on Kickstarter, Mecha Systems Inc has set up a campaign for their newest invention, the Mecha Comet. It's a modular handheld Linux computer that lets you swap out the parts to suit what you want to use it for. Need to get some work done? Slap on the keyboard module and get to typing, Blackberry-style. Fancy some gaming? Swap out the module with a built-in controller and start playing.
Of course, because it's focused on FOSS, everything in this project is open-source. The operating system is available on GitHub, and all the hardware will be published with a CERN-OHL-S-2.0 license with its own GitHub page. The design encourages repairability, so you can swap out any parts that die on you yourself. And the team plans to support both the software and hardware for the Mecha Comet for a while...
Mecha Comet – Modular Linux Handheld with Snap-On Modules - OMG! Ubuntu
The device runs open-source software: Linux kernel 6.12, U-Boot and a Fedora-based operating system called Mechanix. The OS sports a touch-optimised GUI purpose-made for small screens (relatively rare in the Linux scene). It runs on Wayland and was built with Rust.
The shell is fully-featured with multitasking capabilities, a login/Lock Screen, app launcher, control panel and ample settings to customise the layout.
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A Real Linux Computer You Can Carry in Your Pocket
In the nearly two decades since smartphones first surged into the mainstream, handheld computing has transitioned from novel to normal. However, despite carrying immense processing power in our pockets, these devices remain poor substitutes for general-purpose computers. Their utility is often hamstrung by walled garden ecosystems, where a handful of corporate gatekeepers dictate which software users are permitted to install. This lack of digital freedom is compounded by physical limitations: beyond standard USB or wireless connections, smartphones offer almost no hardware extensibility for those who need more versatile interfacing.
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Mecha Comet Brings Real Modularity to Pocket-Sized Linux Computing, Hits Kickstarter
Crowdfunding campaigns for handheld gadgets appear all too frequently, but almost none of them deliver on their promises. However, the Mecha Comet intends to defy this trend. Mecha Systems launched this open and modular Linux handheld on Kickstarter, which was created from the start with customization in mind.
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The modular Linux handheld Mecha Comet is up on Kickstarter | GamingOnLinux
Mecha Comet was covered here on GamingOnLinux back in early 2025, and now this exciting bit of hardware has a Kickstarter live to fund it. This would have been a dream device to mess about with when I was younger, really love what they're doing with it.
Linux Magazine:
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Mecha Systems Introduces Linux Handheld » Linux Magazine
I'm not usually one to talk about products launched on Kickstarter, because you just never know if/when those things will actually ship. This time, however, I've come across something that's pretty cool, by way of Mecha Systems: the Mecha Comet, a modular, open source handheld. The Mecha Comet is flexible, hackable, and comes with a choice of two different Arm-based SoCs. The more powerful of the two SOCs offers more power, a modern GPU, 4K video support, and AI acceleration.
What's the purpose of such a tool? With a 3.92" AMOLED touchscreen that sports 1080X1240 resolution and several ports (including USB-C, mini HDMI, audio jack, and hardware expansion slots), the Mecha Comet is pretty flexible. The expansion slots allow users to snap on various modules, including a gamepad and keyboard, with the promise of more modules to come.
As for use cases, I could imagine the Comet serving as a portable development tool, a handheld gaming console, an embedded controller, a media player, and more.
The Mecha Comet runs Mechanix OS, a fork of Fedora, and features a custom launcher. Plus, everything involved in the Comet is open source.
If you're interested in the Mecha Comet, you can join in on the fun starting at $189 on its official Kickstarter page. As of now, the Kickstarter has already surpassed its goal of $50,000 with over $500,000 pledged. You can also read more about the device and how it's evolved.
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This Modular Linux Pocket Computer Looks Promising - Hackster.io
Smartphones are great. They’re technological marvels, cramming a huge amount of computing power and a ton of functions into very compact packages that are much more affordable than they have any right to be. But they also feel kind of “meh,” you know? And their existence has all but destroyed the pocket computer market. Thankfully, Mecha Comet is a promising new option in that underserved market.
Mecha Comet is not just a smartphone with a Blackberry-style keyboard, nor is it simply a fancy enclosure for an SBC. It is a fully featured pocket computer with swappable modules to suit user needs and upgradable hardware to enhance performance.