ydotool(1)

1YDOTOOL(1)                  General Commands Manual                 YDOTOOL(1)
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NAME

6       ydotool - command-line /dev/uinput automation tool
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SYNOPSIS

9       ydotool cmd args [ , cmd args ... ]
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11       ydotool cmd --help
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DESCRIPTION

14       ydotool lets you programmatically (or manually) simulate keyboard input
15       and mouse activity, etc. It does this by writing directly to /dev/uin‐
16       put so it generally needs to run as root.
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18       It's possible to chain multiple commands together, separated by a comma
19       between two spaces.
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21       Currently implemented command(s):
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23       type
24           Type a string
25       key
26           Press keys
27       mousemove
28           Move mouse pointer to absolute position
29       click
30           Click on mouse buttons
31       recorder
32           Record/replay input events
33       sleep
34           sleep for a while
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KEYBOARD COMMANDS

37       key [--up] [--down] [--next-delay <ms>] [--key-delay <ms>] [--repeat
38       <times>] [--repeat-delay <ms>] <key sequence>
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40           Type a given keystroke. Examples being "alt+r", "ctrl+J",
41           "ctrl+alt+n", "backspace".
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43           Options:
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45           --up
46               Only keyup
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48           --down
49               Only keydown
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51           --delay <ms>
52               Delay before starting to output keystrokes. Default 100ms.
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54           --key-delay <ms>
55               Delay time between keystrokes. Default 12ms.
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57           --repeat <times>
58               Times to repeat the key sequence.
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60           --repeat-delay <ms>
61               Delay time between repetitions. Default 0ms.
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63           Generally, any valid name from /usr/include/linux/input-event-
64           codes.h will work. Multiple keys are separated by '+'.
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66           Each key sequence can be any number of modifiers and keys, sepa‐
67           rated by plus (+)
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69           For example: alt+r Alt+F4 CTRL+alt+f3 aLT+1+2+3 ctrl+Backspace
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71           Since we are emulating keyboard input, combinations like Shift+# is
72           invalid because typing a `#' involves pressing Shift and 3.
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74           Example: Switch to tty1:
75               ydotool key ctrl+alt+f1
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77           Example: Close a window in graphical environment:
78               ydotool key Alt+F4
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80       type [--next-delay <ms>] [--key-delay <ms>] [--texts arg] [--file
81       <filepath>] "texts"
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83           Types text as if you had typed it on the keyboard.
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85           Options:
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87           --next-delay <ms>
88               Delay before starting typing. Default 100ms.
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90           --key-delay <ms>
91               Delay time between keystrokes. Default 12ms.
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93           --texts arg
94               Texts to type
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96           --file <filepath>
97               Specify a file, the contents of which will be typed as if
98               passed as an argument. The filepath may also be '-' to read
99               from stdin.
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101           Example: to type 'Hello world!' you would do:
102               ydotool type 'Hello world!'
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MOUSE COMMANDS

105       mousemove <x> <y>
106           Move the mouse to the specific relative X and Y coordinates on the
107           screen.
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109           Options: --absolute
110               Use absolute position
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112           Example: to move the cursor to absolute coordinates (100,100):
113               ydotool mousemove --absolute 100 100
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115       click  [--next-delay <ms>] button
116           Send a click. Buttons are: left, right or middle
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118           Options:
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120           --next-delay <ms>
121               Delay before click. Default 100ms.
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123           --up
124               Only mouseup
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126           --down
127               Only mousedown
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129           --buttons <arg>
130               Buttons to press (left, right, middle)
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132           Example: Mouse middle click:
133               ydotool click middle
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135       recorder [--record <devices>] [--replay <input files>] [--display]
136       [--duration <ms>] [--devices <path>] [--file <path>]
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138           Options:
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140           --record <devices>
141               Devices to record from. Default is all, including non-keyboard
142               devices.
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144           --replay <input files>
145               The record file can't be replayed on an architecture with dif‐
146               ferent endianness.
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148           --display
149               Display
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151           --duration <ms>
152               Record duration. Otherwise use SIGINT to stop recording.
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154           --devices <path>
155               Devices, separated by comma, to record from. Default is all
156               devices (default: "")
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158           --file <path>
159               File to record to / replay from
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AUTHOR

162       ydotool was written by ReimuNotMoe.
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164       This man page by bob.hepple@gmail.com
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BUGS

167       When ydotool(1) runs and creates a virtual input device, it will take
168       some time for your graphical environment (eg X11/Wayland) to recognize
169       and enable the virtual input device. (Usually done by udev)
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171       If the delay is too short, the virtual input device may not be recog‐
172       nized & enabled by the graphical environment in time.
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174       In order to solve this problem, there is a persistent background ser‐
175       vice, ydotoold(1), to hold a persistent virtual device, and accept
176       input from ydotool(1). When ydotoold(1) is unavailable, ydotool(1) will
177       work without it.
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LICENCE

180       AGPLv3
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