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[](https://travis-ci.org/koekeishiya/skhd)
**skhd** is a simple hotkey daemon for macOS. It is a stripped version of [**khd** (*no longer maintained*)](https://github.com/koekeishiya/khd)
(although rewritten from scratch), that sacrifices the more advanced features in favour of increased responsiveness and performance.
**skhd** is able to hotload its config file, meaning that hotkeys can be edited and updated live while **skhd** is running.
feature comparison between **skhd** and **khd**
| feature | skhd | khd |
|:--------------------------:|:----:|:---:|
| hotload config file | [x] | [ ] |
| hotkey passthrough | [x] | [x] |
| modal hotkey-system | [x] | [x] |
| use media-keys as hotkey | [x] | [ ] |
| application specific hotkey| [x] | [x] |
| modifier only hotkey | [ ] | [x] |
| caps-lock as hotkey | [ ] | [x] |
| mouse-buttons as hotkey | [ ] | [x] |
### Install
The first time **skhd** is ran, it will request access to the accessibility API.
After access has been granted, the application must be restarted.
*Secure Keyboard Entry* must be disabled for **skhd** to receive key-events.
**Homebrew**:
Requires xcode-8 command-line tools.
brew install koekeishiya/formulae/skhd
brew services start skhd
**Source**:
Requires xcode-8 command-line tools.
git clone https://github.com/koekeishiya/skhd
make install # release version
make # debug version
make fast_profile # release version with profiling information
make profile # debug version with profiling information
### Usage
```
-V | --verbose: Output debug information
skhd -V
-v | --version: Print version number to stdout
skhd -v
-c | --config: Specify location of config file
skhd -c ~/.skhdrc
-k | --key: Synthesize a keypress (same syntax as when defining a hotkey)
skhd -k "shift + alt - 7"
-t | --text: Synthesize a line of text
skhd -t "hello, worldã‚·"
```
### Configuration
**skhd** will load the configuration file `$HOME/.skhdrc`, unless otherwise specified.
A sample config is available [here](https://github.com/koekeishiya/skhd/blob/master/examples/skhdrc)
A list of all built-in modifier and literal keywords can be found [here](https://github.com/koekeishiya/skhd/issues/1)
A hotkey is written according to the following rules:
```
hotkey = <mode> '<' <action> | <action>
mode = 'name of mode' | <mode> ',' <mode>
action = <keysym> '[' <proc_map_lst> ']' | <keysym> '->' '[' <proc_map_lst> ']'
<keysym> ':' <command> | <keysym> '->' ':' <command>
<keysym> ';' <mode> | <keysym> '->' ';' <mode>
keysym = <mod> '-' <key> | <key>
mod = 'modifier keyword' | <mod> '+' <mod>
key = <literal> | <keycode>
literal = 'single letter or built-in keyword'
keycode = 'apple keyboard kVK_<Key> values (0x3C)'
proc_map_lst = * <proc_map>
proc_map = <string> ':' <command> | <string> ':' '~' |
'*' ':' <command> | '*' '~'
string = '"' 'sequence of characters' '"'
command = command is executed through '$SHELL -c' and
follows valid shell syntax. if the $SHELL environment
variable is not set, it will default to '/bin/bash'.
when bash is used, the ';' delimeter can be specified
to chain commands.
to allow a command to extend into multiple lines,
prepend '\' at the end of the previous line.
an EOL character signifies the end of the bind.
-> = keypress is not consumed by skhd
* = matches every application not specified in <proc_map_lst>
~ = application is unbound and keypress is forwarded per usual, when specified in a <proc_map>
```
A mode is declared according to the following rules:
```
mode_decl = '::' <name> '@' ':' <command> | '::' <name> ':' <command> |
'::' <name> '@' | '::' <name>
name = desired name for this mode,
@ = capture keypresses regardless of being bound to an action
command = command is executed through '$SHELL -c' and
follows valid shell syntax. if the $SHELL environment
variable is not set, it will default to '/bin/bash'.
when bash is used, the ';' delimeter can be specified
to chain commands.
to allow a command to extend into multiple lines,
prepend '\' at the end of the previous line.
an EOL character signifies the end of the bind.
```
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