global listeners for laptop keyboard

[MaxPleaner]

Hello, I am trying to create a global keyboard-macros program on my personal laptop.

This is Ubuntu 14.04 on a HP EliteBook2540p running Ruby 2.4.0-dev

Currently I have artoo-keyboard working for text that is typed directly into the terminal where the script is running.

I'm trying to have global listeners (so the terminal doesnt have to be in focus).

I've tried specifying the keyboard port using the following:

connection :keyboard, adaptor: :keyboard, port: '/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input3'

I got this port number by running cat /proc/bus/input/devices.

I noticed that if I also include device :keyboard, driver: :keyboard, connection: :keyboard, then the above "connection" call using port has no effect. So I've removed it.

When I try running the script, I get the following trace:

I, [2016-02-27T16:20:01.810087 #3607]  INFO -- : Registering connection 'keyboard'...
I, [2016-02-27T16:20:01.810222 #3607]  INFO -- : Preparing work...
I, [2016-02-27T16:20:01.811240 #3607]  INFO -- : Initializing artoo::connection keyboard...
I, [2016-02-27T16:20:01.819236 #3607]  INFO -- : Starting work...
I, [2016-02-27T16:20:01.819592 #3607]  INFO -- : Connecting to 'keyboard' on port '/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input3'...
E, [2016-02-27T16:20:01.823406 #3607] ERROR -- : Actor crashed!
                                                               NoMethodError: undefined method `name' for "Unknown Command":String
                                                    /home/max/.rbenv/versions/2.4.0-dev/lib/ruby/gems/2.4.0/gems/artoo-1.8.2/lib/artoo/events.rb:10:in `block in on'

I've also tried running the program with sudo but it has the same output.

I'm new to all this hardware business, so I would appreciate knowing if I'm obviously making a mistake somewhere or if my approach is wrong in a serious way.

Thanks

[deadprogram]

Hi, @MaxPleaner there is not any current ability for Artoo to listen for keyboard events outside of a terminal window. That would require additional coding beyond what it currently handles. A PR that added this would be happily accepted! :)

[MaxPleaner]

Hey Ron, thanks for this response. I have no idea how to begin doing this.
If you have any advice for how a solution could be pieced together, I
suppose I might be able to try.

On Sat, Feb 27, 2016 at 6:17 PM, Ron Evans notifications@github.com wrote:

Hi, @MaxPleaner https://github.com/MaxPleaner there is not any current
ability for Artoo to listen for keyboard events outside of a terminal
window. That would require additional coding beyond what it currently
handles. A PR that added this would be happily accepted! :)

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#6 (comment)
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[deadprogram]

Capturing global keyboard events outside of a window focus in a cross-platform way is not going to be easy, I can tell you that...

[MaxPleaner]

On a Linux platform, it looks like it can be done with evtest. I might put
something together using this, but that approach no longer uses
artoo-keyboard, so i'm fine closing this issue. Thanks for the
code, by the way.