The modern computer is a slot machine. You sit down to write a simple email or finish a project, and within three minutes, you're deep in a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the history of salt. It’s exhausting. We’ve reached a point where the very tools meant to facilitate our creativity are the primary obstacles standing in its way. I got sick of it. I realized that my $2,000 MacBook Pro was actually a $2,000 distraction engine. So, i built a distraction free keyboard to see if I could actually get some work done for once.
Honestly, the "distraction-free" movement isn't new. You’ve probably seen those expensive dedicated word processors like the Freewrite or the AlphaSmart. They’re cool, but they’re also pricey or, in the case of the AlphaSmart, feel like typing on a soggy potato. I wanted something that felt premium—mechanical, tactile, and completely isolated from the pings of Slack or the siren song of YouTube.
Building it wasn't just about the hardware; it was about a psychological shift. When you remove the ability to "quickly check one thing," your brain eventually stops asking to check. It’s a weird feeling at first. Panic, almost. Then, silence.
The hardware reality of a distraction-free build
People think you need to be an electrical engineer to do this. You don't. You basically just need to be a bit obsessive and have a soldering iron (or a hot-swap PCB if you're lazy). I started with a 60% mechanical keyboard layout. Why? Because the smaller the footprint, the more intentional the experience feels. I used a GK61 hot-swap PCB as the foundation because it’s cheap and reliable.
The soul of any keyboard is the switch. If you’re building this for deep work, you want a switch that provides feedback. I went with Boba U4T tactiles. They have this "thocky" sound that makes every keystroke feel like you’re actually accomplishing something. It’s satisfying. It makes you want to keep going just to hear the rhythm.
But a keyboard alone isn't a "distraction-free" device. It needs a brain.
I decided to pair this keyboard with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. The goal was to create a terminal-only environment. No GUI. No Chrome. No distractions. I used a 400x1280 pixel long-strip LCD that fits perfectly above the keyboard. It looks like something out of a 70s sci-fi movie. I’m not joking—it’s actually kind of beautiful in a brutalist way.
Wiring the brain
The Raspberry Pi sits inside a custom 3D-printed case that attaches directly to the back of the keyboard. I used a short USB-C ribbon cable to connect the PCB to the Pi. Power comes from a 5000mAh LiPo battery tucked into the base. This makes it entirely portable.
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You can take it to a park, sit on a bench, and you are literally unable to browse the web. The OS is a stripped-down version of Raspberry Pi OS Lite. It boots directly into a text editor. I chose Vim, but if you aren't a masochist, you could easily use Nano or a custom Python-based word processor.
Why the "AlphaSmart" approach fails for power users
The AlphaSmart Neo 2 is the darling of the distraction-free world. You can find them on eBay for $40. They're great, but they have a fatal flaw: the screen is tiny and the keyboard is membrane. Typing 5,000 words on a membrane keyboard feels like running a marathon in flip-flops.
When i built a distraction free keyboard, I focused on the "flow state." Flow happens when the friction between your thought and the digital record of that thought disappears. Mechanical switches have a specific actuation point. Your brain learns exactly how much pressure is needed. It becomes an extension of your hands.
Furthermore, old hardware often lacks modern syncing capabilities. My build uses a simple script that watches for a Wi-Fi connection. When I get home and the Pi hits my home network, it automatically pushes my text files to a private GitHub repository or a Dropbox folder using rclone. It’s seamless. No more messing around with "transfer cords" like it's 1998.
The software stack: Living in the terminal
If you have a screen and a keyboard, you still have the temptation to fiddle. I had to be strict. I disabled the network manager by default. If I want internet, I have to manually edit a config file. That’s enough of a barrier to stop the "quick check" impulse.
For the actual writing, I use a tool called FocusWriter (the CLI version) or just a plain Markdown file in Vim. Markdown is essential. It allows you to format as you go without ever touching a mouse.
for H1
for H2
- ** for bold
It’s fast. It’s clean. Most importantly, it’s portable. When I’m done, I can pull that Markdown file into Obsidian or Word on my main machine and the structure is already there.
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Does it actually work?
The first day I used it, I felt twitchy. I would finish a sentence and my fingers would instinctively try to hit Cmd+T to open a new tab. I’d look at the screen and remember: there are no tabs. There is only the blinking cursor.
It’s a bit like a digital detox. After about 45 minutes, something clicked. I stopped thinking about the "elsewhere" of the internet and started thinking about the paragraph I was writing. I wrote 2,000 words in one sitting. For me, that’s a record.
Research from experts like Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, suggests that "context switching"—the act of jumping between tasks or tabs—can cost you up to 40% of your productive time. By removing the ability to switch, I reclaimed that 40%. It’s not magic; it’s just physics. You’re narrowing the pipe so the pressure increases.
Misconceptions about distraction-free tech
One big lie people tell is that you need an E-ink screen.
E-ink is great for reading, but the refresh rate is terrible for typing. If you type 80 words per minute, the ghosting and lag on an E-ink display will drive you insane. I tried it. I hated it. High-contrast LCDs or OLEDs with a dark mode (amber text on black) are much better for the eyes over long periods and actually keep up with your fingers.
Another misconception is that these devices are only for "writers."
I’ve used mine for:
- Coding logic (writing pseudocode)
- Journaling
- Scriptwriting
- Project planning
Basically, if it requires thinking, it benefits from a distraction-free environment.
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The cost of focus
Let’s talk money. You can buy a Freewrite Traveler for about $450. It’s a polished product. But when i built a distraction free keyboard, my total bill was roughly $180.
- Mechanical Keyboard (GK61): $50
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W: $15
- LCD Screen: $45
- Battery and Power Management: $30
- 3D Printing/Case parts: $40
It’s cheaper, it’s better, and it’s repairable. If the battery dies in five years, I can swap it out for $10. If I want a different keyboard feel, I can swap the switches. This is "forever hardware."
Actionable steps to build your own focus station
You don't have to go full "cyberdeck" like I did. You can start smaller.
First, look into the QMK or VIA firmware. If you have a programmable mechanical keyboard, you can actually create a "Focus Layer." When you toggle it on, it disables certain keys (like the Windows/Cmd key) so you can’t easily exit your writing app.
Second, if you want a dedicated device without building one, find an old laptop—something like a ThinkPad X220. Wipe the hard drive. Install a minimal Linux distro like Alpine or Arch. Don't install a browser. Just install a text editor.
Third, embrace the "drafting" phase. The biggest hurdle to writing is the urge to edit. Distraction-free keyboards are for drafting. They are for getting the raw material out of your head and onto the "page." Don't worry about the perfect word. Just keep the cursor moving forward.
Fourth, set a "Sync Ritual." Decide that you will only move your work to your main computer at the end of the day. This creates a hard boundary between the "Creation Zone" and the "Distribution Zone."
Focus is a muscle. Right now, most of us have atrophied focus muscles because we spend all day lifting "information marshmallows." Building a dedicated tool for work is like going to the gym. It's hard at first, but eventually, you'll find that you can sit in a chair for two hours and actually produce something of value. Stop letting your browser steal your time. Build something that respects your attention.