skhd is a simple hotkey daemon for macOS that enables users to define and trigger custom keyboard shortcuts through a text-based configuration file.
The tool solves the problem of managing system-wide hotkeys on macOS by providing a lightweight daemon that listens for keyboard input and executes configured commands. It uses a simple domain-specific language to define hotkeys in a text file, allowing users to map key combinations to actions. The daemon supports hotloading, meaning configuration changes take effect immediately without requiring a restart, and uses a pid-file mechanism to ensure only one instance runs at a time.
skhd suits developers and power users who want responsive, performant hotkey management on macOS without heavy dependencies. It works well for those who prefer configuration-as-code and need features like modal hotkey systems, application-specific bindings, blacklisting certain applications, and media key support. The tool is straightforward to install via Homebrew or from source and requires only standard Xcode command-line tools. The README notes that a backwards-compatible Zig-based port exists for users seeking active feature development and ongoing maintenance.
The project is in maintenance mode, with the maintainer addressing only critical issues affecting core functionality. Development activity is minimal, reflecting the stable, feature-complete nature of the software rather than active expansion.
