Keysharp

Keysharp is a cross-platform C# implementation of AutoHotkey v2, targeting AutoHotkey v2.1-alpha.35 compatibility. It parses AutoHotkey-style scripts, compiles them through .NET, and runs them on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Status: under active development and not yet recommended for production. Windows has the broadest compatibility; Linux and macOS support continues to improve.

Most scripts run unmodified on Windows. On Linux and macOS, calls to Windows DLLs, registry functions and native COM interfaces need platform-specific replacements. DllCall can call each platform's native libraries, and ComObject uses D-Bus on Linux and Apple Events on macOS; see the platform details.

• Download a release
• Platform compatibility
• Full setup & build guide
• AutoHotkey v2 differences

Demos

▶ Watch the Keysharp demos (8 MB GIF)

See the demos folder for example scripts showcasing Keysharp's cross-platform image, overlay, OCR, input and window-management APIs.

Quick Start

1. Install Keysharp for your platform (see Install).
2. Create a script named hello.ks:

   MsgBox("Hello from Keysharp!")
   

3. Double-click it, or run it from a terminal:

   keysharp hello.ks
   

Keysharp runs .ahk/.ks source scripts and .cks compiled scripts. It also ships Keyview, a lightweight editor with live validation, running, and .cks compilation — open it without a file for an autosaved scratchpad.

For per-platform setup, permissions, portable/standalone runs, command-line switches, and building from source, see the detailed reference.

Install

Prebuilt packages are on the Releases page. All platforms require the .NET 10 runtime (the Linux and macOS installers help set this up).

Windows

• Install: download and run the MSI. It associates .ks/.cks files, adds Edit (open in Keyview) and Compile right-click actions, and can add Keysharp to PATH.
• Run: double-click a script, or Keysharp.exe hello.ks.
• Uninstall: Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
• VS Code: with thqby's AutoHotkey v2 Language Support extension, set the interpreter path to your Keysharp.exe (usually C:\Program Files\Keysharp\Keysharp.exe).

Linux

On Ubuntu 24.04 (noble), Ubuntu 26.04 (resolute), and derivatives using those bases (including Pop!_OS 24.04), prefer the Launchpad PPA so apt keeps installed packages updated:

sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:descolada/keysharp
sudo apt update
sudo apt install keysharp

On GNOME or Cinnamon, run keysharp-desktop enable-extension as your graphical user and log out and back in if requested.

The PPA does not target Debian or Ubuntu 22.04-based distributions such as Pop!_OS 22.04.

• On Debian and other supported distributions, download keysharp-linux-setup.sh from a release, then run:

  sudo sh ./keysharp-linux-setup.sh
  

• Log out and back in if setup reports a newly enabled compositor extension.
• Run keysharp hello.ks.

Setup adds the optional keysharp-input and keysharp-desktop services and keeps healthy compatible installations. Linux installation covers updates, optional components, diagnosis, portable installs, removal and VS Code.

On NixOS, use the NixOS guide for a flake-based installation, GNOME or COSMIC setup, and source-build commands. The release installer does not configure NixOS services.

macOS

• Requirements: macOS 15 or later. Download osx-arm64 for Apple Silicon or osx-x64 for an Intel Mac.

• Install: open the DMG and double-click Install Keysharp (or run the standalone PKG). Apple's Installer lets you install for all users in /Applications (administrator password) or only for yourself in ~/Applications. It downloads the .NET 10 runtime if needed. Under Customize, terminal commands and opening Keysharp afterwards are selected by default and the VS Code shim is optional. Per-user terminal commands go in ~/.local/bin, which is added to your login shell's PATH; open a new Terminal window to use them.

• Gatekeeper: local self-signed, ad-hoc-signed, and unsigned builds are not notarized. If macOS blocks setup, try opening it and then choose System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway, following Apple's instructions. For a trusted download whose quarantine flag prevents opening, clear that flag:

  # Use the actual file you downloaded (the .pkg works the same way).
  xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/keysharp-*-osx-*.dmg
  

  If an installed app is blocked for the same reason, clear its quarantine flag:

  xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Keysharp.app /Applications/Keyview.app
  

  For a per-user installation, replace /Applications with "$HOME/Applications".

• Run: keysharp hello.ks, or use Keyview.app. Keysharp requests Input Monitoring, Accessibility, and Screen Recording permissions as features need them — grant them in System Settings → Privacy & Security.

• Uninstall: click Uninstall Keysharp in Keysharp's dashboard, double-click Uninstall Keysharp in the DMG, or run keysharp-uninstall. Both terminal prompts default to Yes, and the dialog defaults to Uninstall and Delete Settings. To keep settings, choose Uninstall in the dialog, answer no to deleting settings, or pass --keep-settings in the terminal. The .NET runtime and macOS privacy permissions are kept.

• VS Code: select the compatibility shim under Customize during installation. Use /Users/YOUR_USERNAME/.local/bin/AutoHotkey.exe as the interpreter path.

• GUI editing shortcuts: GUIs are automatically given a minimal macOS menu bar (an App menu plus the standard Edit menu), so ⌘C/⌘V/⌘X/⌘A/⌘Z work in their text controls. Add the -AppMenu option (e.g. MyGui := Gui("-AppMenu")) to opt out; it has no effect on Windows/Linux.

thqby's VS Code extension targets AutoHotkey on Windows: editing and running scripts work cross-platform, but Windows-specific debugging, help, and compiler integration do not. See the full setup guide for portable runs, permissions, and platform details.

Platform Compatibility

Full means the feature is generally usable; Partial means known gaps remain; Unverified means the backend is implemented but has not been verified on hardware. See the full capability matrix and per-platform details.

Building From Source

Install the .NET 10 SDK and run dotnet build Keysharp.sln -c Debug. Linux and macOS also need the sibling Keysharp Eto fork. See building and packaging for the commands and prerequisites.

Documentation

• Detailed reference — full setup, permissions, command-line switches, building from source, and AutoHotkey v2 differences
• Capability matrix — per-feature, per-platform status
• Privacy policy — local data, scripts, and network services
• AutoHotkey v2 docs — the language Keysharp implements

Acknowledgements

Keysharp builds on work from IronAHK, AutoHotkey, Eto.Forms, Scintilla, NAudio, and many other open-source projects and community contributors. See the full acknowledgements.

Contributing and Support

Please use the issue tracker for bug reports, compatibility gaps, and feature requests.