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input-emulator - A scriptable input emulator

1. Introduction

A scriptable input emulator for Linux which instructs the kernel to create virtual keyboard, mouse, and touch input devices through which one can perform various high level actions (typing, movement, gestures, etc.) via command-line.

Similar actions can be performed with existing tools but they are either bound to X (eg. xdotool) or operates with low level events (evemu-create, evemu-event, etc.) which make scripted automation not as easy.

1.1 Motivation

To make a simple input emulator for test automation.

input-emulator was originally named keyboard-simulator and started as part of the tio project to script keyboard input to automate generation of tio demonstration gifs.

2. features

  • Emulates the 3 arch type input devices: keyboard, mouse, and touch
  • Perform device actions via command-line
    • Keyboard actions: type, key, keydown, keyup
    • Mouse actions: move, click, down, up, scroll
    • Touch actions: tap
  • Start/stop individual input device
  • Input devices are maintained by background service (default)
    • Allows stable input device name
    • Status of service can be queried via command-line
  • Documented via man page
  • Supports various keyboard layouts (TODO, limited to DK for now)
  • Shell completion support (bash)

3. Usage

3.1 Command-line

The command-line interface is straightforward as reflected in the output from 'input-emulator --help':

Usage: input-emulator [--version] [--help] <command> [<arguments>]

  -v, --version                      Display version
  -h, --help                         Display help

Available commands:
  start [<options>] kbd|mouse|touch  Create virtual input device
  kbd <action> <args>                Do keyboard action
  mouse <action> <args>              Do mouse action
  touch <action> <args>              Do touch action
  status                             Show status of virtual input devices
  stop kbd|mouse|touch|all           Destroy virtual input device

Start options:
  -x, --x-max <points>               Maximum x-coordinate (only for mouse and touch)
  -y, --y-max <points>               Maximum y-coordinate (only for mouse and touch)
  -s, --slots <number>               Maximum number of slots (fingers) recognized (only for touch)
  -d, --type-delay <ms>              Type delay (only for keyboard, default: 15)
  -n, --no-daemonize                 Run in foreground

Keyboard actions:
  type <string>                      Type string
  key <key>                          Stroke key (press and release)
  keydown <key>                      Press key
  keyup <key>                        Release key

Mouse actions:
  move <x> <y>                       Move mouse x,y relative
  button left|middle|right           Click mouse button (press and release)
  buttondown left|middle|right       Press mouse button
  buttonup left|middle|right         Release mouse button
  scroll <ticks>                     Scroll mouse wheel number of ticks

Touch actions:
  tap <x> <y>                        Tap at x,y coordinate

3.2 Examples

3.2.1 Touch example

 $ input-emulator start touch --x-max 2560 --y-max 1440 --slots 4
 $ input-emulator touch tap 1280 720
 $ input-emulator stop touch

3.2.2 Mouse example

 $ input-emulator start mouse --x-max 2560 --y-max 1440
 $ input-emulator mouse move 200 -300
 $ input-emulator mouse button left
 $ input-emulator mouse buttondown right
 $ input-emulator mouse buttonup right
 $ input-emulator mouse scroll -1
 $ input-emulator stop

3.2.3 Keyboard example

 $ input-emulator start kbd
 $ input-emulator kbd type 'hello there'
 $ input-emulator kbd keydown ctrl
 $ input-emulator kbd key t
 $ input-emulator kbd keyup ctrl
 $ input-emulator kbd key q
 $ input-emulator stop kbd

3.2.4 Status example

 $ input-emulator status
Online devices:
  kbd: /sys/devices/virtual/input/input115
mouse: /sys/devices/virtual/input/input113 (x-max: 1024 y-max: 768)
touch: /sys/devices/virtual/input/input114 (x-max: 1024 y-max: 768 slots: 4)

4. Installation

Prerequisite

For the input-emulator to be able to create emulated input devices the Linux kernel feature INPUT_UINPUT must be enabled (see drivers/input/misc/Kconfig in the Linux kernel).

Most distributions have this feature enabled.

4.1 Installation from source

Install steps:

 $ meson build
 $ meson compile -C build
 $ meson install -C build

See meson_options.txt for input-emulator specific build options.

Note: The meson install steps may differ depending on your specific system and environment.

4.2 Set up permissions for /dev/uinput

To run input-emulator successfully as a normal user it needs access to the dev uinput /dev/uinput device. This is often permission protected so to gain access you can do the following:

Create an uinput group:

$ sudo groupdadd -f uinput

Add user to group:

usermod -a -G uinput <username>

Create a udev rule /etc/udev/rules.d/99-input.rules containing:

KERNEL=="uinput", GROUP="uinput", MODE:="0660"

Then reboot computer and your user should have rw access to /dev/uinput and input-emulator should work as intended.

5. Contribute

Feel free to improve the implementation. It is open source and released under the GPLv2 license.

6. Sponsors

  • DEIF A/S