# 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.
## 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.
* 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.
## 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 sway # Sway
cargo install xremap # Others
```
You may also need to install `libx11-dev` to run the `xremap` binary for X11.
### 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.
## Usage
Write [a config file](#Configuration) directly, or generate it with
[xremap-ruby](https://github.com/xremap/xremap-ruby) or [xremap-python](https://github.com/xremap/xremap-python).
Then run:
```
sudo xremap config.yml
```
If you want to run xremap without sudo, click here.
### Running xremap without sudo
To do so, your normal user should be able to use `evdev` and `uinput` without sudo.
In Ubuntu, this can be configured by running the following commands and rebooting your machine.
```bash
sudo gpasswd -a YOUR_USER input
echo 'KERNEL=="uinput", GROUP="input"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/input.rules
```
#### Arch Linux
The following can be used on Arch.
```bash
lsmod | grep uinput
```
If this module is not loaded, add to `/etc/modules-load.d/uinput.conf`:
```bash
uinput
```
Then add udev rule.
```bash
echo 'KERNEL=="uinput", GROUP="input", MODE="0660"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-input.rules
```
#### Other platforms
In other platforms, you might need to create an `input` group first
and run `echo 'KERNEL=="event*", NAME="input/%k", MODE="660", GROUP="input"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/input.rules` as well.
If you do this, in some environments, `--watch` may fail to recognize new devices due to temporary permission issues.
Using `sudo` might be more useful in such cases.
---
See the following instructions for your environment to make `application`-specific remapping work.
### X11
If you use `sudo` to run `xremap`, you may need to run `xhost +SI:localuser:root` if you see `No protocol specified`.
### GNOME Wayland
Install xremap's GNOME Shell extension from [this link](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/5060/xremap/),
switching OFF to ON.
If you use sudo to run xremap, also click here.
Update `/usr/share/dbus-1/session.conf` as follows, and reboot your machine.
```diff
+
```
## Configuration
Your `config.yml` should look like this:
```yml
modmap:
- name: Except Chrome
application:
not: Google-chrome
remap:
CapsLock: Esc
keymap:
- name: Emacs binding
application:
only: Slack
remap:
C-b: left
C-f: right
C-p: up
C-n: down
```
See also: [example/config.yml](example/config.yml) and [example/emacs.yml](example/emacs.yml)
### 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
modmap:
- name: Name # Optional
remap: # Required
KEY_XXX: KEY_YYY # Required
KEY_XXX:
held: KEY_YYY # Required
alone: KEY_ZZZ # Required
alone_timeout_millis: 1000 # Optional
# Trigger `keymap` action on key press/release events.
KEY_XXX:
press: { launch: ["xdotool", "mousemove", "0", "7200"] } # Required
release: { launch: ["xdotool", "mousemove", "0", "0"] } # Required
application: # Optional
not: [Application, ...]
# or
only: [Application, ...]
```
For `KEY_XXX` and `KEY_YYY`, use [these names](https://github.com/emberian/evdev/blob/1d020f11b283b0648427a2844b6b980f1a268221/src/scancodes.rs#L26-L572).
You can skip `KEY_` and the name is case-insensitive. So `KEY_CAPSLOCK`, `CAPSLOCK`, and `CapsLock` are the same thing.
Some [custom aliases](src/config/key.rs) like `SHIFT_R`, `CONTROL_L`, etc. are provided.
If you specify a map containing `held` and `alone`, you can use the key for two purposes.
The key is considered `alone` if it's pressed and released within `alone_timeout_millis` (default: 1000)
before any other key is pressed. Otherwise it's considered `held`.
### keymap
`keymap` is for remapping a sequence of key combinations to another sequence of key combinations or other actions.
```yml
keymap:
- name: Name # Optional
remap: # Required
# Key press -> Key press
MOD1-KEY_XXX: MOD2-KEY_YYY
# Sequence (MOD1-KEY_XXX, MOD2-KEY_YYY) -> Key press (MOD3-KEY_ZZZ)
MOD1-KEY_XXX:
remap:
MOD2-KEY_YYY: MOD3-KEY_ZZZ
timeout_millis: 200 # Optional. No timeout by default.
# Key press (MOD1-KEY_XXX) -> Sequence (MOD2-KEY_YYY, MOD3-KEY_ZZZ)
MOD1-KEY_XXX: [MOD2-KEY_YYY, MOD3-KEY_ZZZ]
# Execute a command
MOD1-KEY_XXX:
launch: ["bash", "-c", "echo hello > /tmp/test"]
# Let `with_mark` also press a Shift key (useful for Emacs emulation)
MOD1-KEY_XXX: { set_mark: true } # use { set_mark: false } to disable it
# Also press Shift only when { set_mark: true } is used before
MOD1-KEY_XXX: { with_mark: MOD2-KEY_YYY }
# The next key press will ignore keymap
MOD1-KEY_XXX: { escape_next_key: true }
# Set mode to configure Vim-like modal remapping
MOD1-KEY_XXX: { set_mode: default }
application: # Optional
not: [Application, ...]
# or
only: [Application, ...]
mode: default # Optional
default_mode: default # Optional
```
For `KEY_XXX`, use [these names](https://github.com/emberian/evdev/blob/1d020f11b283b0648427a2844b6b980f1a268221/src/scancodes.rs#L26-L572).
You can skip `KEY_` and the name is case-insensitive. So `KEY_CAPSLOCK`, `CAPSLOCK`, and `CapsLock` are the same thing.
For the `MOD1-` part, the following prefixes can be used (also case-insensitive):
* Shift: `SHIFT-`
* Control: `C-`, `CTRL-`, `CONTROL-`
* Alt: `M-`, `ALT-`
* Windows: `SUPER-`, `WIN-`, `WINDOWS-`
You can use multiple prefixes like `C-M-Shift-a`.
You may also suffix them with `_L` or `_R` (case-insensitive) so that
remapping is triggered only on a left or right modifier, e.g. `Ctrl_L-a`.
### application
`application` can be used for both `modmap` and `keymap`, which allows you to specify application-specific remapping.
```yml
application:
not: Application
# or
not: [Application, ...]
# or
only: Application
# or
only: [Application, ...]
```
To check the application names, you can use the following commands:
#### X11
```
$ wmctrl -x -l
0x0280000a 0 gnome-terminal-server.Gnome-terminal ubuntu-focal Terminal
0x02600001 0 nocturn.Nocturn ubuntu-focal Nocturn
```
Use the name after `.` in the third column (`WM_CLASS`), i.e. `Gnome-terminal` or `Nocturn` in the above output.
#### GNOME Wayland
```
busctl --user call org.gnome.Shell /org/gnome/Shell org.gnome.Shell Eval s 'global.get_window_actors().map(a => a.get_meta_window().get_wm_class());'
```
#### Sway
```
swaymsg -t get_tree
```
Locate `app_id` in the output.
## License
`xremap` is available as open source under the terms of the [MIT License](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).