---
layout: page
title: "Keyboard"
description: "Instructions how to use a keyboard to remote control Home Assistant."
date: 2016-09-28 14:39
sidebar: true
comments: false
sharing: true
footer: true
logo: keyboard.png
ha_category: Other
ha_release: 0.29
ha_iot_class: "Local Push"
---

Recieve signals from a keyboard and use it as a remote control.

This component allows to use a keyboard as remote control. It will
fire ´keyboard_remote_command_received´ events witch can then be used
in automation rules.

The `evdev` package is used to interface with the keyboard and thus this
is Linux only. It also means you can't use your normal keyboard for this,
because `evdev` will block it.


```yaml
# Example configuration.yaml entry
keyboard_remote:
  device_descriptor: '/dev/input/by-id/foo'
  key_value: 'key_up' # optional alternaive 'key_down' and 'key_hold'
  # be carefull, 'key_hold' fires a lot of events
```

And an automation rule to bring breath live into it.

```yaml
automation:
  alias: Keyboard All light on
  trigger:
    platform: event
    event_type: keyboard_remote_command_received
    event_data:
      key_code: 107 # inspect log to obtain desired keycode
  action:
    service: light.turn_on
    entity_id: light.all
```