[Feature Request] More or less reproducible builds for supplied firmware images

[BlackLotus]

Feature Request Type

• [X] Core functionality
• [ ] Add-on hardware support (eg. audio, RGB, OLED screen, etc.)
• [ ] Alteration (enhancement/optimization) of existing feature(s)
• [X] New behavior

Description

I'm using the k8 pro as an example here. When the official firmware file for the k8 pro (k8_pro_us_rgb_v1.03.bin) is flashed via works like expected. When building the k8 pro firmware with via support no matter which branch I use I can't reproduce this firmware. I'm not even talking about having the same hash, I'm talking about working like intended. I can't configure my keyboard via via when building from source even when supplying the appropriate json file.

It would be nice if in the firmware description there would be a pin to a commit hash or a tar archive of a build environment that can reproducible produce a working image equal to the provided binary files.

[PeterMortensen]

In what way does Via not work as expected when self-building the firmware?

What commit ID and branch did you use? What was the exact command line to build the firmware?

I have never had any problems of this kind with a K10 Pro. For example, A56EF8 (2024-03-02) and branch 'wireless_playground'. Though holding Fn + J + Z to reset to factory defaults has never worked with self-compiled firmware (only with the official firmware); that is one detail that it would be nice to know more about.