README
¶
Nexus Open
Linux support for the Corsair iCUE Nexus, the 640×48 pixel display strip that sits above your keyboard. Corsair doesn't make a Linux driver; this project reverse-engineered the protocol and built one.
Screenshots
What you get
Live stats on the display strip: CPU and GPU temperature and load, network throughput, and weather from open-meteo. Swipe left and right to switch between pages. Each zone is independently configurable: pick a plugin, choose a graph style (sparkline, bar, area), and set the colours.
A settings app lets you rearrange the layout and swap plugins without restarting anything. The preview shows the exact image going to the hardware in real time.
The daemon runs quietly as a systemd user service and starts automatically on login. No Corsair software, no Wine, no background cloud process.
Plugins
| Plugin | What it shows |
|---|---|
| cpu-temp | CPU package temperature |
| cpu-load | Per-core or aggregate CPU utilisation |
| gpu-temp | GPU temperature (AMD, Intel, NVIDIA) |
| gpu-load | GPU utilisation |
| network | Download and upload throughput |
| weather | Current conditions from open-meteo |
| media | Now playing via MPRIS/playerctl |
| clock | Time and date (built in) |
You can also write your own. A plugin is a Go binary that implements a three-method interface. Drop it anywhere and reference it in a YAML file. See CONTRIBUTING.md for a walkthrough.
Install
Download from the releases page:
| Format | Distro |
|---|---|
.pkg.tar.zst |
Arch Linux (or yay -S nexus-open) |
.deb |
Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 13+ |
.rpm |
Fedora 40+, RHEL 9+ |
.tar.gz |
Any distro, static binary, no runtime dependencies |
After installing, unplug and replug the Nexus. The bundled udev rule grants access without adding your user to any group.
See docs/INSTALLATION.md for details, or DEVICE_SETUP.md if you run into USB permission issues.
Building from source
Requires Go 1.26+ and Flutter 3.24+. No C libraries needed.
git clone https://github.com/mantonx/nexus-open.git
cd nexus-open
make setup # installs dev tools
make dev # Go + Flutter with hot-reload
No hardware? NEXUS_MOCK_DEVICE=1 make dev works without the device plugged in.
See DEVELOPMENT.md for the full dev workflow.
Known issues
The display stays black after the daemon stops. The firmware has no command to restore the Corsair boot screen, so unplug and replug to get it back. The settings UI requires XWayland (handled automatically in the packaged binary).
More
- docs/INSTALLATION.md — install, build from source, configuration
- DEVICE_SETUP.md — USB permissions and troubleshooting
- DEVELOPMENT.md — architecture, hot-reload workflow, testing
- CONTRIBUTING.md — writing plugins, submitting PRs
- docs/USB_PROTOCOL.md — reverse-engineered protocol, frame format, touch HID reports
License
MIT. See LICENSE.
Directories
¶
| Path | Synopsis |
|---|---|
|
cmd
|
|
|
nexus-open
command
Package main provides the Nexus Open application entry point.
|
Package main provides the Nexus Open application entry point. |
|
plugin-test
command
plugin-test is a utility to test external plugins
|
plugin-test is a utility to test external plugins |
|
swipe-sim
command
swipe-sim drives the /api/debug/swipe endpoint in a loop so you can watch transition smoothness in real time and tune parameters quickly.
|
swipe-sim drives the /api/debug/swipe endpoint in a loop so you can watch transition smoothness in real time and tune parameters quickly. |
|
tap-mock
command
tap-mock generates three 640×48 PNG mock frames showing:
|
tap-mock generates three 640×48 PNG mock frames showing: |
|
zone-demo
command
zone-demo demonstrates the zone rendering system
|
zone-demo demonstrates the zone rendering system |
|
zone-test
command
zone-test demonstrates the complete zone system with live device rendering Includes multi-page navigation, touch input, and live module updates
|
zone-test demonstrates the complete zone system with live device rendering Includes multi-page navigation, touch input, and live module updates |
|
internal
|
|
|
api
Package api provides the HTTP API server for configuration and image management.
|
Package api provides the HTTP API server for configuration and image management. |
|
app
Package app provides the main application orchestration and dependency injection.
|
Package app provides the main application orchestration and dependency injection. |
|
assets
Package assets provides utilities for managing application assets like images.
|
Package assets provides utilities for managing application assets like images. |
|
device
Package device provides an abstraction layer for USB device communication.
|
Package device provides an abstraction layer for USB device communication. |
|
plugins/builtin
Package builtin contains built-in modules compiled into the host
|
Package builtin contains built-in modules compiled into the host |
|
plugins/host
Package host manages the lifecycle of external plugins — plugins that run as separate processes and communicate with the host over net/rpc.
|
Package host manages the lifecycle of external plugins — plugins that run as separate processes and communicate with the host over net/rpc. |
|
settings
Package config provides configuration management backed by SQLite.
|
Package config provides configuration management backed by SQLite. |
|
store
Package store provides a SQLite-backed configuration store for Nexus Open.
|
Package store provides a SQLite-backed configuration store for Nexus Open. |
|
touch
Package touch provides touch input handling and gesture recognition.
|
Package touch provides touch input handling and gesture recognition. |
|
udev
Package udev handles installation of udev rules for HID device access.
|
Package udev handles installation of udev rules for HID device access. |
|
zone
Package zone implements the zone-based layout system for the display.
|
Package zone implements the zone-based layout system for the display. |
|
pkg
|
|
|
plugin
Package plugin defines the interface and types for Nexus Open plugins.
|
Package plugin defines the interface and types for Nexus Open plugins. |