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https://github.com/anko/xkbcat

simple sudoless X11 keylogger
https://github.com/anko/xkbcat

keylogger x11

Last synced: 2 months ago
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simple sudoless X11 keylogger

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# xkbcat [![](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/anko/xkbcat/ci.yml?branch=master&style=flat-square)](https://github.com/anko/xkbcat/actions) ![](https://img.shields.io/github/languages/code-size/anko/xkbcat?style=flat-square)



Simple X11 keylogger.



 - Simple output format:  One line on `stdout` per key event.

 - Simple to audit:  One short file of modern C.

 - Simple to run:  Does not need `sudo`.



## Examples



### Keypresses only



Given no options, `xkbcat` prints only keypresses, one per line. Here's the

output when I type "Hi":



    Shift_L

    h

    i



### Keypresses and key-ups



With key-ups enabled (`xkbcat -up`), the format changes to show them:



    +Shift_L

    +h

    -h

    -Shift_L

    +i

    -i



Lines starting `+` are key-downs; `-` are key-ups.



## Compilation



Just `make`.



Don't have `X11/extensions/XInput2.h`?  Install your distro's `libxi-devel`

package.



## Usage



Options you can pass (all optional):



 - `-display `: set target X display (default `:0`)

 - `-up`: also prepend key-ups (default: don't)

 - `-help`: print usage hints and exit



Then just use your computer as usual.  Interrupt signal (`C-c`) to quit.



## Related programs



### Other keyloggers



 - If you need to log keys across a whole Linux system (also in the

   framebuffer—not just in X11), try [keysniffer][1].  It works via a kernel

   module, and needs `sudo`.

 - If you want to see what characters the user actually typed (with modifier

   keys, backspace, etc resolved into text), [`xspy`][2] or [`logkeys`][3]

   might be better for you.



### Programs that work well together with `xkbcat`



 - If you want to add timestamps to each line for logging purposes, I recommend

   piping to the [moreutils package][4]'s `ts`.  [These answers][5] feature

   various other tools good for the purpose.

 - If you only want to see key names when you press keys in the same terminal

   where `xkbcat` is running, you can temporarily disable terminal echo with

   `stty -echo && xkbcat`.  (`stty` is in coreutils.)



### Programs for logging other X11 events



 - [xinput][6] invoked as `xinput --test-xi2 --root` logs everything

   input-related; even mouse movements and clicks, and touchpad stuff.  Its

   output is very comprehensive, but harder to parse.



 - If you need to log X11 events more generally, various protocol monitoring

   programs are listed in the [X11 debugging guide][7].



## Versioning



The git-tagged version numbers follow [semver][8].



Error outputs (on stderr) are intended to be read by people.  Changes to their

wording are not considered breaking changes.  Don't parse them

programmatically.



## License



[ISC][9].



[1]: https://github.com/jarun/keysniffer

[2]: http://www.freshports.org/security/xspy/

[3]: http://code.google.com/p/logkeys/

[4]: http://joeyh.name/code/moreutils/

[5]: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21564/is-there-a-unix-utility-to-prepend-timestamps-to-lines-of-text

[6]: https://www.x.org/archive/current/doc/man/man1/xinput.1.xhtml

[7]: https://www.x.org/wiki/guide/debugging/

[8]: http://semver.org/

[9]: http://opensource.org/licenses/ISC