Linux: Keyboard stops working when Rotatrix is running with other key remapping software (keyd)

DavidLiu · October 26, 2026, 6:26pm

If your keyboard stops working system-wide while Rotatrix is running and starts working again when you quit it, there may be a conflict with other Linux keyboard-remapping software. Here is the fix for keyd.

First, check whether keyd is the cause

Fully quit Rotatrix.
Temporarily stop keyd:
```
sudo systemctl stop keyd
```
Start Rotatrix again and test normal typing.

Your keyd remappings will be inactive during this test. If typing now works, try the exclusion below so both programs can run together. If the problem persists, quit Rotatrix, restore keyd with sudo systemctl start keyd, and report the issue.

Allow keyd and Rotatrix to work together

Fully quit Rotatrix again.
Open your existing keyd configuration in /etc/keyd/. If it’s named default.conf, run:
```
sudo nano /etc/keyd/default.conf
```
If you use a different .conf filename, open that instead.
Add this line inside the existing [ids] section:
```
-2e8a:fffe
```
If that section already contains *, it should look like this:
```
[ids]
*
-2e8a:fffe
```
Keep your other entries and mappings unchanged. Don’t add * if it wasn’t already there.
Save and exit. In nano, press Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X.
Start keyd again:
```
sudo systemctl start keyd
```
Starting it loads the updated configuration; no separate reload is needed.
Check that typing and your keyd mappings work, then reopen Rotatrix and test both again.

Why this helps

Rotatrix captures keyboard input to detect and selectively consume hotkeys, then forwards other keystrokes through a virtual keyboard.

With a wildcard configuration, keyd can capture Rotatrix’s virtual keyboard while Rotatrix captures keyd’s virtual keyboard, creating a feedback loop. The exclusion prevents keyd from capturing Rotatrix’s output, allowing:

Physical keyboard → keyd → Rotatrix → desktop

The ID 2e8a:fffe belongs to Rotatrix’s software-created virtual keyboard, not the physical trackball.

This workaround was confirmed by a user who experienced the issue in both Rotatrix 1.5.1 and 1.6.0b3. Their normal typing and keyd shortcuts worked together with Rotatrix after adding the exclusion.

If typing still stops, fully quit Rotatrix to restore it and report your Linux distribution, desktop environment, Rotatrix version, and any keyboard-remapping software you use.