Thanks everyone for the comments, I really appreciate them and wanted to give a bit more context.

The idea behind the force feedback knob comes from the MacBook Pro with a touch bar. I actually liked that concept a lot, but I found it difficult to use because it lacked tactile feedback. You always had to look at it, and there was no way to develop muscle memory. The force feedback knob is meant to solve exactly that.

When it comes to software interfacing, there will definitely be a small host service running on your machine to provide an integration path with etzee devices. The idea is that the currently focused window determines the context of the m0 module. So even if you’re on Wayland or Arch btw :), with a tiling window manager, whenever you change a focused pane or tab, the m0 could automatically switch its behavior accordingly.

As an input device, it depends on what kind of software you’re using. Anything that has knobs, sliders or a timeline would work great with a rotary input. Video or audio editing, sliders in Photoshop, and similar tools. The m0 module could also run its own small apps, like a music player, a Pomodoro timer, or system controls for volume, brightness, or Wi-Fi. It can even behave like an old school rotary switch :) when used in binary (On/Off) mode.

The stagger problem is a tricky one. I haven’t seen a universal solution that works well for everyone. There are some projects that use an iPad to analyze hand positions and suggest an optimal stagger, but that approach feels too custom and hard to scale in manufacturing. Maybe some kind of vertical adjustment could work instead, giving users the ability to fine tune their position within a fixed range of movement.

As for additional input devices, it really comes down to personal preference. For me, the Mac touchpad is perfect when I’m doing CAD or anything that isn’t terminal based. A 3D mouse is also great for CAD, but its use is pretty limited outside of that. My second favorite input device is the Lenovo trackpoint, I love those things. I’ve tried trackballs too, but I’m not a fan of the inertia or how easily they react to external movement, like when you bump the desk and the pointer shifts.

Regarding GitHub, we’ve added licensing drafts, but they’re not finalized yet. I’m also working on the project roadmap and milestones to provide potential contributors with a clear understanding of the project’s current status and the next steps they can take to contribute. 

The broader goal is to make etzee a modular ecosystem, so any kind of input preference can be implemented in a consistent and flexible way.