My "=" Key Broke... So I Built My Own Keyboard Remapper

Ehsan Khanahmadi — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:39:21 +0000

Have you ever had a moment where your keyboard suddenly decides:

"I'm done. I don't want to work anymore." 😂

Well... that happened to me.

A few keys on my keyboard stopped working correctly.

At first, I thought:

"Okay, maybe it is just a small issue."

Then I realized the problem was with some keys that I actually use every day as a developer:

=
_

And if you write code, you already know how painful that is. 😅

These symbols are everywhere.

Variables, assignments, filenames, configurations...

They are small characters, but without them, coding becomes a lot more annoying.

The Developer Solution: Don't Replace It... Hack It 😎

The normal solution would be:

"Buy a new keyboard."

But honestly...

Replacing an entire keyboard because of only two broken keys felt unnecessary.

So I asked myself:

"What if I could teach another key to do their job?"

And that is where this little project started.

Creating My Own Keyboard Remapping Tool

The idea was simple:

Take unused keys and give them a new purpose.

For example:

F10 → =
F11 → _

Now instead of doing nothing useful, these keys became my replacement keys.

My keyboard basically got a second life. 🔥

What Is Keyboard Remapping?

Keyboard remapping means changing the behavior of a key.

Normally:

F10 → F10
F11 → F11

After customization:

F10 → =
F11 → _

The operating system receives a different key action than the default one.

This technique can be useful for:

Broken keyboard keys
Custom shortcuts
Productivity improvements
Personal keyboard layouts
Creating your own workflow
Why I Built This Project

This project started because of a personal problem.

But I realized many people can have similar situations:

Some keyboard keys stop working.
Some keys are rarely used.
Some users want custom shortcuts.
Developers want faster workflows.

Sometimes a small daily frustration can become a useful tool.

This Is Only Version One 🚀

This project is still in its early stage.

I have many plans to improve it:

Better user interface
Custom key profiles
Multiple configurations
More advanced shortcut management
More operating system support
Easier setup process

The goal is to turn this simple idea into a more complete keyboard customization tool.

I Would Love Your Feedback ❤️

I would really appreciate it if you check out the project on GitHub.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or find any problems, please share your feedback.

Your opinions help me improve the project and make it better.

⭐ If you like this idea, please visit my GitHub repository and give it a Star. It really helps me continue developing and adding new features.

GitHub:

👉 https://github.com/Ehsankhanahmadi/KeyForge

Final Thoughts

A broken keyboard key does not always mean you need a new keyboard.

Sometimes...

You just need to teach your keyboard a new trick. 😎⌨️

Thanks for reading!

Don't forget to check the GitHub repository, share your feedback, and leave a Star if you enjoyed the project ⭐

DEV Community: Ehsan Khanahmadi

My "=" Key Broke... So I Built My Own Keyboard Remapper