# <img src='.github/xremap.png' style='height: 32px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: -4px;' alt='Xremap'> :keyboard:
 [](https://github.com/k0kubun/xremap/actions/workflows/build.yml)
`xremap` is a key remapper for Linux. Unlike `xmodmap`, it supports app-specific remapping and Wayland.
## Table of contents
- [Concept](#Concept)
- [Features](#Features)
- [Installation](#Installation)
- [Usage](#Usage)
- [Configuration](#Configuration)
- [Commandline arguments](#Commandline-arguments)
- [Documentation](doc/README.md)
- [Troubleshooting](doc/troubleshooting.md)
- [Maintainers](#Maintainers)
- [License](#License)
## Concept
- **Fast** - Xremap is written in Rust, which is faster than JIT-less interpreters like Python.
- **Cross-platform** - Xremap uses `evdev` and `uinput`, which works whether you use X11 or Wayland.
- **Language-agnostic** - The config is JSON-compatible. Generate it from any language,
e.g. [Ruby](https://github.com/xremap/xremap-ruby), [Python](https://github.com/xremap/xremap-python).
## Features
- Remap any keys, e.g. Ctrl or CapsLock.
- Remap any key combination to another, even to a key sequence.
- Remap a key sequence as well. You could do something like Emacs's `C-x C-c`.
- Remap a key to two different keys depending on whether it's pressed alone or held.
- Application-specific remapping. Even if it's not supported by your application, xremap can.
- Device-specific remapping.
- Automatically remap newly connected devices by starting xremap with `--watch`.
- Support [Emacs-like key remapping](example/emacs.yml), including the mark mode.
- Trigger commands on key press/release events.
- Use a non-modifier key as a virtual modifier key.
## Installation
Download a binary from [Releases](https://github.com/k0kubun/xremap/releases).
If it doesn't work, please [install Rust](https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/getting-started/installation.html)
and run one of the following commands:
```bash
cargo install xremap --features x11 # X11
cargo install xremap --features gnome # GNOME Wayland
cargo install xremap --features kde # KDE-Plasma Wayland
cargo install xremap --features wlroots # Sway, Wayfire, etc.
cargo install xremap --features hypr # Hyprland
cargo install xremap --features niri # Niri
cargo install xremap --features cosmic # COSMIC Wayland
cargo install xremap --features pantheon # Pantheon Wayland (aka Secure)
cargo install xremap --features socket # Variant for system service
cargo install xremap # Others
```
You may also need to install `libx11-dev` to run `xremap` for X11.
You may find a list of supported compositors for wlroots [here](https://wayland.app/protocols/wlr-foreign-toplevel-management-unstable-v1#compositor-support).
#### Arch Linux
If you are on Arch Linux and X11, you can install [xremap-x11-bin](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/xremap-x11-bin/) from AUR.
#### NixOS
If you are using NixOS, xremap can be installed and configured through a [flake](https://github.com/xremap/nix-flake/).
#### Fedora Linux
If you are using Fedora, xremap can be installed via this [Fedora Copr](https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/blakegardner/xremap/) repository.
#### Gentoo Linux
If you are using Gentoo Linux, xremap can be installed via [::guru overlay](https://codeberg.org/gentoo/guru/src/branch/master/gui-apps/xremap).
## Usage
If something isn't working take a look at the [troubleshooting section](doc/troubleshooting.md)
#### Run with sudo
First perform these installation instructions: [Running xremap with sudo](doc/running_with_sudo.md)
```
sudo xremap config.yml
```
#### Run without sudo
First perform these installation instructions: [Running xremap without sudo](doc/running_without_sudo.md)
```
xremap config.yml
```
## Configuration
Your `config.yml` should look like this:
```yml
modmap:
- remap:
CapsLock: Esc
keymap:
- remap:
Ctrl-P: Up
Ctrl-N: Down
```
A configuration file has 3 parts: `modmap`, `keymap` and [Configuration options](doc/reference_config_options.md).
`modmap` and `keymap` are described below.
There are examples of [a more realistic config](example/config.yml) and [an emacs inspired config](example/emacs.yml).
#### Key names
All possible keys are [listed here](https://github.com/emberian/evdev/blob/1d020f11b283b0648427a2844b6b980f1a268221/src/scancodes.rs#L26-L572).
You can skip `KEY_` and the names are case-insensitive. So `KEY_CAPSLOCK`, `CAPSLOCK`, and `CapsLock` are the same thing.
The keys are described in more detail in [Key names](doc/reference_key_names.md). Some custom aliases like `Shift_R` and `Control_L` also exists.
In case you don't know the name of a key, you can find out by enabling debug output:
```bash
RUST_LOG=debug xremap config.yml
```
Then press the key you want to know the name of. Remember `sudo` if that's needed.
### Examples
In the examples, note whether they use `modmap` or `keymap`.
#### Exchange `Capslock` and `Esc`
```yml
modmap:
- remap:
Capslock: Esc
Esc: Capslock
```
The remapping will also be used in `keymap`, e.g. definitions with
`Esc` in `keymap` will match the physical `Capslock` key. This is because
the output of `modmap` goes through `keymap`.
#### Disable a key
```yml
modmap:
- remap:
F9: []
```
The meaning of the config is: `F9` remaps to an empty list of keys.
#### Remap a key combo to another key combo
```yml
keymap:
- remap:
Ctrl-P: Up
Ctrl-N: Down
```
This configuration allows extra modfiers to be pressed. This means if `Ctrl`, `Shift` and `P` are pressed,
it will remap to `Shift-Up`, allowing to select text up and down.
#### Remap an exact key combo
To make the remapping `Ctrl-P: Up` only match with the exact modifiers pressed:
```yml
keymap:
- exact_match: true
remap:
Ctrl-P: Up
Ctrl-N: Down
```
This means if `Ctrl`, `Shift` and `P` are pressed, it won't match. The keys are
passed through as is, and the combo `Ctrl-Shift-P` does the same thing it does without xremap running.
#### Different remap for left and right modifiers
```yml
keymap:
- remap:
Ctrl_R-C: End
Ctrl_R-X: Home
```
Pressing right `Ctrl` and `C` remaps to `End`. This leaves the normal remapping of `Ctrl-C` using left `Ctrl` to copy text.
### modmap
`modmap` is for key-to-key remapping like xmodmap.
Note that remapping a key to a modifier key, e.g. CapsLock to Control_L,
is supported only in `modmap` since `keymap` handles modifier keys differently.
```yml
default_mode: default # Optional
modmap:
- name: Name # Optional
remap:
# Replace a key with multiple keys (pressed and released simultaneously)
KEY_XXX2: [KEY_YYY, KEY_ZZZ]
# Dispatch different keys depending on whether you hold it or press it alone
KEY_XXX4:
held: KEY_YYY # Required, also accepts arrays
alone: KEY_ZZZ # Required, also accepts arrays
hold_threshold_millis: 100 # Optional, defaults to 0
alone_timeout_millis: 1000 # Optional, defaults to 1000
# Dispatch keymap-action when key is pressed or releaseed.
KEY_XXX5:
skip_key_event: true # Optional, skip original key event, defaults to false
press: [{ press: KEY_YYY }, { launch: ["xdotool", "mousemove", "0", "7200"] }] # Optional, default to no action
repeat: { repeat: KEY_YYY } # Optional, default to no action
release: [{ release: KEY_YYY }, { set_mode: my_mode }] # Optional, defaults to no action
application: # Optional
not: [Application, ...]
# or
only: [Application, ...]
window: # Optional
not: [/regex of window title/, ...]
# or
only: [/regex of window title/, ...]
device: # Optional
not: [Device, ...]
# or
only: [Device, ...]
mode: default # Optional
# or
mode: [ default, my_mode ]
```
### keymap
`keymap` is for remapping a sequence of key combinations to another sequence of key combinations or other actions.
Key actions in `keymap` will generally press and release keys right away
when the last key in the trigger combination is pressed.
```yml
default_mode: default # Optional
keymap:
- name: Name # Optional
exact_match: false # Optional, defaults to false
remap:
# Sequence (MOD1-KEY_XXX2, MOD2-KEY_YYY) -> Key press (MOD3-KEY_ZZZ)
MOD1-KEY_XXX2:
remap:
MOD2-KEY_YYY: MOD3-KEY_ZZZ
timeout_millis: 200 # Optional. No timeout by default.
timeout_key: KEY_A # Optional. Defaults to nothing. Can also be an array.
# Key press (MOD1-KEY_XXX3) -> Sequence (MOD2-KEY_YYY, MOD3-KEY_ZZZ)
MOD1-KEY_XXX3: [MOD2-KEY_YYY, MOD3-KEY_ZZZ]
# Execute a command
MOD1-KEY_XXX4:
launch: ["bash", "-c", "echo hello > /tmp/test"]
# Let `with_mark` also press a Shift key (useful for Emacs emulation)
MOD1-KEY_XXX5: { set_mark: true } # use { set_mark: false } to disable it
# Add Shift to output when `set_mark` has been set to `true`.
MOD1-KEY_XXX6: { with_mark: MOD2-KEY_YYY }
# Ignore the next key press when searching for remappings in keymap (modmap is unaffected)
MOD1-KEY_XXX7: { escape_next_key: true }
# Set mode to enable/disable remappings.
MOD1-KEY_XXX8: { set_mode: default }
# Illustrate a nested mapping that times out;
# also useful for timing out double-key sequences if the second key is never pressed.
space: # Use timeout to fix a bouncy spacebar
remap:
space: null # make space output nothing; null is equivalent to []
timeout_key: space # output space after timeout or a non-mapped key (only space is mapped above)
timeout_millis: 150 # timeout duration in ms
application: # Optional
not: [Application, ...]
# or
only: [Application, ...]
window: # Optional
not: [/regex of window title/, ...]
# or
only: [/regex of window title/, ...]
device: # Optional
not: [Device, ...]
# or
only: [Device, ...]
mode: default # Optional
# or
mode: [ default, my_mode ]
```
What to use for modifiers, the `MOD-` part, is described in [Key names](doc/reference_key_names.md).
### exact_match
`exact_match` controls how modifiers are matched.
A remapping, where modifiers match exactly will always be used. But when such a remapping
doesn't exist, the default is to try an inexact match, this can be disabled with
`exact_match=true`.
Example of inexact match: Given a mapping of `Ctrl-n: down`, and
you pressed <kbd>Ctrl-Shift-n</kbd>, it will automatically be remapped to
<kbd>Shift-down</kbd>. With exact matching, you would have to define a mapping for
<kbd>Ctrl-Shift-n</kbd>.
### application
`application` can be used for both `modmap` and `keymap`, which allows you to specify application-specific remapping.
```yml
keymap:
- application:
not: firefox
#not: [firefox, ...]
#only: firefox
#only: [firefox, ...]
remap:
capslock: KEY_A
```
The application name can be specified as a normal string to exactly match the name,
or a regex surrounded by `/` like `/application/`.
To check the application names, you can use the following command:
```
xremap --list-windows
```
It was added in `v0.15.5`. [See methods prior to that](https://github.com/xremap/xremap/tree/v0.15.4#application).
It doesn't work on GNOME Wayland or KDE Wayland, though. But there it's possible to do:
#### GNOME Wayland
Use the following command or check windows' WMClass by pressing Alt+F2 and running `lg` command in [LookingGlass](https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeShell/LookingGlass):
```
busctl --user call org.gnome.Shell /com/k0kubun/Xremap com.k0kubun.Xremap WMClasses
```
#### KDE-Plasma Wayland
Xremap prints the active window to the console.
However, it will only start printing, once a mapping has been triggered that uses an application filter.
So you have to create a mapping with a filter using a dummy application name and trigger it.
Then each time you switch to a new window xremap will print its caption and class in the following style:
`active window: caption: '<caption>', class: '<class>'`
The `class` property should be used for application matching, while the `caption` property should be used for window matching.
If you use a systemd-daemon to manage xremap, the prints will be visible in the system-logs (Can be opened with `journalctl -f`)
#### application-specific key overrides
Sometimes you want to define a generic key map that is available in all applications, but give specific keys in that map their own definition in specific applications. You can do this by putting the generic map at the bottom of the config, after any specific overrides, as follows.
```yml
# Emacs-style word-forward and word-back
keymap:
- name: override to make libreoffice-writer go to end of word but before final space like emacs
application:
only: libreoffice-writter
remap:
Alt-f: [right, C-right, left]
- name: generic for all apps
remap:
Alt-f: C-right
Alt-b: C-left
```
Note how Alt-f and Alt-b work in all apps, but the definition of Alt-f is slightly different in LibreOffice Writer. When that app is active, the first definition overrides the second definition; but for any other app, only the second definition is found. This is because xremap uses the first matching definition that it finds.
### device
Much like [`application`](#application), you may specify `{keymap,modmap}.device.{not,only}` in your configuration for device-specific remapping. Consistent with the global `--device` flag, device-matching strings may be any of:
- The full path of the device (e.g. /dev/input/event0)
- The filename of the device (e.g. event0)
- The device name
- A substring of the device name
- The vendor and/or product id (e.g. ids:0x3f0:0x24)
To determine the names and paths of your devices, examine `xremap`'s log output at startup. To get
further info run: `xremap --list-devices` or even `xremap --device-details`.
```yml
keymap:
- device:
not: "/dev/input/event0"
# not: "/dev/input/by-id/Cool_Device" # Symlink to device. Since v0.14.8
# not: [event0, event1]
# only: 'Some Cool Device Name'
# only: ['Cool Device', 'Another Device']
# only: [ids:0x3f0:0x24]
remap:
W: UP
```
Unlike for `application`, regexs are not supported for `device`.
If both `not` and `only` is specified, then `only` is used for matching, and `not` has no effect.
Vendor and product ids must be given in hexadecimal, with or without '0x' prefix. It's possible to only
match on vendor id with: `ids:0x3f0:0`, and only on product id with `ids:0:0x24`.
### mode
You can assign mode(s) to keymap and/or remap which effectively turns them on or off
when you set the mode.
```yml
modmap:
- name: Up
remap:
W: UP
mode: [Up, Up_And_Down] # Mode is optional
- name: Down
remap:
S: DOWN
mode: [Down, Up_And_Down]
- name: Right_And_Left
remap:
D: RIGHT
A: LEFT
mode: Right_And_Left # Mode can be a string or vector of strings
- name: Turn Off
remap:
L:
press: { set_mode: Off } # Modmap can set mode via press and release
release:
# If mode is absent the keymap or modmap is always on
keymap:
- name: SetMode
remap:
CTRL-U: { set_mode: Up }
CTRL-I: { set_mode: Down }
CTRL-O: { set_mode: Up_And_Down }
CTRL-P: { set_mode: Right_And_Left }
mode: [Up, Down, Right_And_Left, Up_And_Down, Off] # You can assign modes to keymap too!
default_mode: Up_And_Down # Optional, if absent default mode is "default"
```
## Commandline arguments
Usage for xremap is shown by running the following command:
```
xremap --help
```
The result is shown here:
```
Usage: xremap [OPTIONS] [CONFIGS]...
Arguments:
[CONFIGS]...
Config file(s)
When more than one file is given, then will modmap, keymap and virtual_modifiers
from the subsequent files be merged into the first configuration file.
Options:
--device <DEVICE>
Limit input devices to the given names or paths. Default is all keyboards
--ignore <IGNORE>
Ignore input devices with the given names or paths
--mouse
Listen to mouse devices. Default is false.
Trackpads, tablets and other absolute devices are not supported.
--watch[=<WATCH>...]
Watch for new devices or changing configuration files.
Default is not watching for either.
Examples
- xremap --watch config.yml # watch devices
- xremap --watch=config config.yml # watch configuration files
- xremap --watch=config,device config.yml # watch both
Possible values:
- device: add new devices automatically
- config: reload the config automatically
--output-device-name <OUTPUT_DEVICE_NAME>
Choose the name of the created output device. Default is 'xremap' or 'xremap pid=xx'
--vendor <VENDOR>
Choose the vendor value of the created output device.
Must be given in hexadecimal with or without a prefix '0x'.
Default is: 0x1234
--product <PRODUCT>
Choose the product value of the created output device.
Must be given in hexadecimal with or without a prefix '0x'.
Default is: 0x5678
--list-devices
List info about devices
--device-details
Show device details
--list-windows
List open windows. Use this to get app_class and title.
Since v0.15.5. Not supported for GNOME Wayland or KDE Wayland.
--no-window-logging
Suppress logging of window title and application changes.
Default is false. Since v0.14.10.
--allow-launch <ALLOW_LAUNCH>
Allow remappings to execute programs. Default is ambiguous. Since v0.15.1
[possible values: true, false]
--bridge
Open a bridge from the desktop environment to the xremap system service.
Since v0.15.1
--completions <SHELL>
Generate shell completions
You can use them by storing in your shells completion file or by running
- in bash: eval "$(xremap --completions bash)"
- in fish: xremap --completions fish | source
[possible values: bash, elvish, fish, powershell, zsh]
-h, --help
Print help (see a summary with '-h')
-V, --version
Print version
```
### Device/ignore
The arguments to `--device` and `--ignore` are described [here](#device). When using
`--device`, only the devices you specify will be used. To select more than one device separate them
by `,` or use `--device` for each:
```sh
xremap --device "first device,second device" config.yml
```
or:
```sh
xremap --device "first device" --device "second device" config.yml
```
## Maintainers
- @k0kubun
- @N4tus (KDE client)
- @jixiuf (wlroots client)
- @saurabhsharan (Niri client)
- @hpccc53 (COSMIC, Pantheon client)
## Releasing
First, bump the xremap version at Cargo.toml and Cargo.lock, and Update CHANGELOG.md. Then:
```
git add .
git commit -m "Version 0.X.Y"
git push origin master
git tag v0.X.Y
git push origin --tags
```
## License
`xremap` is available as open source under the terms of the [MIT License](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).