qmk_distro_msys VS qmk

- QMK MSYS: you'll need it for many things, for compiling your firmware file and for flashing, especially if flashing with QMK Toolbox isn't permitted in firmware settings (in this case QMK Toolbox just won't recognize your keyboard);

You don't need the GUI though, you can write the simple code yourself, then using QMKMSYS you can compile these flat text files into firmware. Using the appropriate flashing software for ypur microcontroller, you then flash this firmware onto your keyboard.

First, install QMK MSYS from here. Once installation is finished, DO NOT DO "QMK SETUP". I will explain this later.

Download QMKMSYS.exe from https://github.com/qmk/qmk_distro_msys/releases/tag/1.7.2

QMK MSYS: What we will be using to compile the firmware

You don't really need to be able to program though. (Assuming you use Windows) QMK MSYS will help put all the QMK code on your PC and make it ready to make the firmware file, you will just specify which keyboard make & model you have, edit the file line that controls the timing behaviour, and your PC will build the firmware. Then the Toolkit GUI app will help you sync that onto the keyboard.

Download and install latest version of QMK MSYS

a) Installed git for windows. (If you don't know how to use it - don't go this way. Just download qmk-vial as ZIP, extract in "C:\Users\URUsername\qmk_firmware\vial-qmk", install QMK MSYS. Run it from shortcut in installed folder, run "qmk setup -H C:\Users\URUsername\qmk_firmware\vial-qmk" and change directory "cd C:\Users\URUsername\qmk_firmware\vial-qmk" for next steps.) b) Had an error with gh, so installed cli. Cloned qmk-vial with github desktop in the end. c) Had an error with "make", so installed it and cloned submodules. d) Still had an error with "make" when compiling fw "No rule to make target".

Keymap: https://gitlab.com/yorickpeterse/qmk/-/blob/44908d410ad5217508a881b151225013f7ced71d/keyboards/bastardkb/tbkmini/keymaps/yorickpeterse/keymap.c

I'm using this keyboard with this layout. The symbols I use most often are all crammed onto a single layer, with a few less commonly used ones being placed on a different layer.

Functionality wise it does what it's supposed to do. Being able to use QMK is nice, but I didn't do much with it besides moving some buttons around (see here).

Same here, I just couldn't get it to work nicely regardless of the settings. For my Gergoplex I'm using this layout.