Run shell commands using keyboard shortcuts, including media keys.
Good to know
Requires Accessibility permission and disabled Secure Keyboard Entry; modifier-only, Caps Lock and mouse-button hotkeys are not supported.
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Run shell commands from configurable macOS keyboard shortcuts, with bindings for individual applications and modes.
What you can do with skhd
Run different commands for the same shortcut in different applications.
Wrong?
Switch between named sets of keyboard shortcuts.
Wrong?
Edit keyboard shortcuts while the daemon is running.
Wrong?
Send a keypress or a line of text from the command line.
Wrong?
Inspect timing information while using keyboard shortcuts.
Wrong?
Leave all keyboard events untouched in selected applications.
Wrong?
Organize keyboard shortcuts across multiple configuration files.
Wrong?
Show all 12
Inspect keycodes and modifiers to configure keyboard shortcuts.
Wrong?
Identify the application blocking hotkeys through Secure Keyboard Entry.
Good to know
Process information may be unavailable; Secure Keyboard Entry still prevents startup.
Wrong?
Install, start, restart and stop skhd as a launchd service.
Good to know
Requires a macOS user launchd session; logs are stored under `/tmp/skhd_$USER.*.log`.
Wrong?
Build skhd on an Apple Silicon Mac.
Good to know
Requires the macOS build tools specified in the README.
Wrong?
Before you upgrade skhd
Newest firstRoot execution and missing Accessibility permission now terminate with exit status 0 instead of failure; a newly generated service plist does not restart successful exits.
Wrong?
Invoke `skhd --version` or `skhd -v` as the first argument and update parsers for `skhd-v0.3.6` instead of `skhd version 0.3.5`.
Read the evidence
Wrong?
v0.3.6 added live Secure Keyboard Entry notifications; v0.3.7 disables them again. Startup diagnostics remain.
Read the evidence
Wrong?
Show 4 older
Automatic config lookup now prefers XDG and `~/.config/skhd/skhdrc` over `~/.skhdrc`; use `--config` to select a file explicitly.
Read the evidence
Wrong?
Update scripts using `/tmp/skhd.pid` to `/tmp/skhd_$USER.pid`; ensure `USER` is set and the user can write that file.
Read the evidence
Wrong?
A PID file at `/tmp/skhd.pid` now prevents multiple daemon instances; the running user needs write permission to that path.
Read the evidence
Wrong?
Replace `make profile` or `make fast_profile` workflows with a normal build and `skhd --profile`; the special build targets are removed.
Read the evidence
Wrong?
skhd release history 8
v0.3.9
with v0.3.8
with v0.3.8
Install the launchd service with a home directory outside `/Users/$USER`.
Details
Service installation resolves the actual home directory and creates a missing LaunchAgents directory. Start and stop commands now account for whether launchd has already loaded the service.
v0.3.9 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Now works / inferred: Install, start, restart and stop skhd as a launchd…Behavior changed / inferred
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
v0.3.7
with v0.3.6
with v0.3.6
Start and manage skhd as a launchd service from its own command line.
Details
Use `--install-service`, `--uninstall-service`, `--start-service`, `--restart-service` and `--stop-service`. Service logs go to `/tmp/skhd_$USER.out.log` and `/tmp/skhd_$USER.err.log`.
v0.3.7 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Added: Install, start, restart and stop skhd as a launchd…Added / inferred: Build skhd on an Apple Silicon Mac.Action required / inferredBehavior changed / inferred: Identify the application blocking hotkeys through S…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Keep your shortcut configuration in an XDG configuration directory.
Details
Config lookup checks `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/skhd/skhdrc`, then `$HOME/.config/skhd/skhdrc`, then `$HOME/.skhdrc`. An explicit `default` mode can appear after its bindings.
v0.3.5 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Behavior changed: Edit keyboard shortcuts while the daemon is running.Now works / inferred: Switch between named sets of keyboard shortcuts.
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Read the evidence
Keep each user's skhd instance in a separate PID file.
Details
The PID file moves from `/tmp/skhd.pid` to `/tmp/skhd_$USER.pid`; the daemon requires `USER` to construct it.
v0.3.4 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Action required / inferred
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Read the evidence
Inspect the keycode and modifier flags of a keypress.
Details
Run `skhd --observe` to print keycodes and modifiers, then press Ctrl+C to exit. Startup diagnostics identify the process enabling Secure Keyboard Entry when available.
v0.3.3 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Added: Inspect keycodes and modifiers to configure keyboar…Added / inferred: Identify the application blocking hotkeys through S…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Read the evidence
Exclude selected applications from all skhd shortcuts.
Details
Add application names to `.blacklist` and split configuration with `.load`. `--reload` triggers a manual reload and `--no-hotload` disables file watching.
v0.3.2 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Added: Leave all keyboard events untouched in selected app…Added: Organize keyboard shortcuts across multiple configu…Improved: Edit keyboard shortcuts while the daemon is running.Behavior changed
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
Read the evidence
Leave a shortcut untouched in selected applications.
Details
Application mappings add `~` to forward a key and `*` for applications without an explicit mapping. Keyboard input-source changes reload the key map and configuration.
v0.3.1 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Improved: Run different commands for the same shortcut in dif…Improved / inferred: Edit keyboard shortcuts while the daemon is running.Added: Inspect timing information while using keyboard sho…Action required / inferred
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex
v0.3.0
Starting point
Starting point
Run shell commands from keyboard shortcuts on macOS.
Details
Define hotkeys in `~/.skhdrc` or a file selected with `--config`; commands run through `$SHELL -c`, falling back to `/bin/bash`.
v0.3.0 source tag for macOS; installation documented in the tagged README requires Xcode 8 command-line tools and Accessibility permission.
Added: Run shell commands using keyboard shortcuts, includ…Added: Run different commands for the same shortcut in dif…Added: Switch between named sets of keyboard shortcuts.Added: Edit keyboard shortcuts while the daemon is running.Added: Send a keypress or a line of text from the command…
Seeded by @iluxav with Codex