InputGate

InputGate is a Linux desktop utility for discovering and muting input peripherals. It groups event nodes by physical port and lets you mute each device from a React interface hosted by pywebview and PySide6.

Requirements

• Linux with /proc/bus/input/devices and /dev/input/event*.
• Python 3.10+ and uv.
• Node.js and npm to build the frontend or run the development server.
• Read access to the input event nodes. This is commonly granted through the input group, depending on the system configuration.

Installation

git clone https://github.com/OblivCode/InputGate.git
cd InputGate
uv sync
cd src/frontend
npm install
npm run build
cd ../..

Usage

Start the desktop application with the built frontend:

uv run inputgate

Mute or unmute a peripheral using its device card. Each action applies to all of that peripheral's grouped event nodes.

Behaviour

Discovery reads /proc/bus/input/devices, groups nodes by physical port, and filters peripherals by name. Vendor and name matches also receive a group ID.

Muting uses Linux EVIOCGRAB to exclusively grab a device's event nodes. Unmuting releases those grabs. Closing the process releases its open handles.

Device IDs represent physical ports. Scan ordering does not change them, but moving a device to another port does. Discovery runs when the UI requests devices; there is no background hotplug watcher.

Verification and limitations

Check that the expected peripherals appear and that mute and unmute affect the intended device. Actual grabbing requires input-device access. Automated tests are deferred.

Discovery currently depends on physical-port data and peripheral names. Matching vendor and name groups does not apply automatic priority rules. Muting is manual; there is no recovery timer or cleaning lock yet.

See architecture for module responsibilities and design constraints.

Development

Run with the Vite development server:

uv run inputgate --dev

startDev() starts Vite and stops it when the window closes. start() loads src/frontend/dist/index.html without starting Vite. Rebuild the frontend after changes when using the normal launch command. These commands run from a source checkout; standalone distribution is not configured.

Frontend checks are available in src/frontend:

npm run lint
npm run build

Functions use fooBar(), variables use foo_bar, and classes use FooBar. Internal helpers use a leading underscore. Keep comments concise and explain meaning, assumptions, or non-obvious behaviour.

Roadmap

• Keyboard shortcuts for device toggles.
• Dual-connection detection and priority handling.
• Laptop keyboard muting when an external keyboard is connected.
• A timed cleaning lock.

License

MIT © OblivCode.