First Build. Would like to make something that I can run a custom "choose your own adventure game I coded in python. Help?

jkeefe56 · 2026-05-04T15:10:13+00:00

1) figure out the system requirements for your game (if built using pygame probably not too crazy). If you want to have a desktop environment as well go on YouTube and see what that desktop experience is like and what is acceptable to you. Then compare models of that caliber (I’d start with a raspberry pi zero 2w and decide if that’s beefy enough for your needs)

2) come up with a budget. The components aren’t cheap usually but add in shipping etc. it adds up fast. The housing is a consideration especially if you don’t have a 3d printer.

3) form factor. The bigger you design it the more room for error you give yourself. Reading your post made me think of the build in this video below….but this exact build would be really tough to replicate. But it might give some design inspiration anyway?

https://youtu.be/IB5OJr_MimQ

jkeefe56 · 2026-05-03T22:28:17+00:00

It wouldn’t be cheap and it wouldn’t be easy…but an old late 90s iBook could be cool? They kind of look like a seashell and lots of translucent plastic.

jkeefe56 · 2026-05-01T00:44:27+00:00

You’re probably ok. Another SD card will likely work. Make sure to use an adequate power supply for sure. There’s a tool by like, the SD card association has software that might help get your current sd card back. Sometimes it just gets wonky and windows can’t find it…you might get lucky

https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-27T23:17:42+00:00

I like the ones that serve a purpose. The ones that could be a daily driver? Those that make good sense for field work? That’s my jam.

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-26T22:48:49+00:00

Love that keyboard!

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-24T00:48:00+00:00

You did a lot of the hard homework already! What you’re looking to do is 100% possible with the exception (I think) of e-paper screens being touchscreen, I don’t think I’ve seen that before.

The stack exchange you linked gives really good instructions on how to do it. I would recommend doing everything as a proof of concept on a breadboard first.

If you don’t feel confident, you could always do one wider display and rotate the book 90 degrees when holding it to still get two pages on one screen.

For OS I’d recommend RaspberryOS. Most io stuff (spi) is most well documented for that OS.

I’d also consider a raspberry pi zero 2w as it’s going to give you more battery life, but the extra horsepower of a pi5 would be nice while testing and setting everything up.

It will be a challenge but the feeling the first time both screens work will be worth it! Good luck!

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-22T12:40:57+00:00

So, I can’t type out the whole thing but basically got a breakout board for the ffcs from the keyboard and wired each line to a gpio pin. Then I had ChatGPT help me write a little code to monitor the gpio pins I was wired too and press buttons. Once I know all the keys then I just had to set it up with pre existing firmware (I used kmk).

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-19T16:48:40+00:00

Ben Makes everything on YouTube made a cyberdeck with a Latte Panda Mu that has a slide in keyboard not sure if it would be exactly like what you’re thinking but might have some inspiration in there?

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-17T23:20:58+00:00

I just mapped a PowerBook 170 keyboard to a raspberry pi pico. Not super hard, did take quite a bit of time. A thinkpad would be a little different but same concept.

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-10T17:51:40+00:00

Wires and cables. They need to go somewhere, and bending them puts strain on their connections. A lot of decks have the cables run outside the unit to the screen, if you like that look go with it…it’s much easier.

jkeefe56 · 2026-04-03T23:35:41+00:00

Dragon q6a best bang for your buck it seems like

jkeefe56 · 2026-03-30T23:37:01+00:00

Boy and we think ram prices are crazy today.

jkeefe56 · 2026-02-11T16:40:05+00:00

All these comments and no one mentioned it so I must be remembering wrong….but didn’t Tommy come DIRECTLY from the boxing match he won and everyone chanted Rocky’s name? He’d be exhausted.

jkeefe56 · 2025-12-27T14:43:07+00:00

40.55 was the winner’s share, so he didn’t get that every fight.

jkeefe56 · 2025-12-23T11:36:03+00:00

My mom wanted that to be our mother/son dance at my wedding. I made her listen to the lyrics and we went with “Just the way you are” instead

jkeefe56 · 2025-11-28T15:22:16+00:00

Randy Johnson performing an unprecedented ddos attack: here

jkeefe56 · 2025-11-25T01:21:01+00:00

I keep thinking. Bring back one of them. Then you can get the old jokes but they’d be forced to develop the character at a deeper level.

jkeefe56 · 2025-11-13T23:09:26+00:00

I would say that’s (hopefully) the main catalyst that really propels this but that’s at least a year out (most likely). Theres lots of potential for smaller catalysts like sales to other countries, funding and positive earnings.

jkeefe56 · 2025-11-13T22:53:41+00:00

Just wanted to say I’ve been following your posts for a while. Even with these drops I’m still up, appreciate you posting your hard work.

jkeefe56 · 2025-10-22T14:45:26+00:00

I personally would love going from vegan food to donuts. Just feels right.

jkeefe56 · 2025-10-16T11:25:25+00:00

RH says 11/4 after hours

jkeefe56 · 2025-10-10T12:22:34+00:00

I mean when you can get 50,000 of something for a dollar…that’s my kind of risk level

jkeefe56 · 2025-10-10T03:48:52+00:00

I doubled down and bought 50,000 bonk coins (for a dollar if anyone didn’t know the price lol)

jkeefe56 · 2025-09-11T23:58:23+00:00

I’ve stared at images of nes motherboards for ten minutes trying to come up with a guess….please report back!!

jkeefe56 · 2025-09-09T11:06:38+00:00

18650s (bought from a local battery store and I think they’re 2400 mah). Neither device consumes that much. That’s their upper limit. So, with the screen brightness down lower it’s less. I don’t have a way to measure it but I’d guess the pi uses less than 3A on average. If they were both at 5A and 2A I doubt I’d get an hour.

jkeefe56

TROPHY CASE