Enhanced Keyboard Logger

A clean, educational Python keyboard logger with improved formatting and readability.

🎯 Features

• Clean Output Format: No clutter from modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift, Alt) or navigation keys
• Smart Auto-Save: Automatically saves typed content after 3 seconds of inactivity
• Readable Logs: Timestamped entries with clear separators
• Session Tracking: Records session start/end times and duration
• Graceful Exit: Press ESC to stop logging safely

📋 Requirements

pip install keyboard

Note: On Windows, the script may require administrator privileges. On Linux, you may need to run with sudo.

🚀 Usage

1. Basic Usage:

   python keylogger.py

2. The logger will:

   • Create a keystroke_log.txt file
   • Display the log file location
   • Start capturing keystrokes
   • Auto-save after 3 seconds of typing inactivity

3. To stop: Press the ESC key

⚙️ Customization

You can customize the logger settings in the main() function:

logger = KeyboardLogger(
    log_file="my_custom_log.txt",  # Custom log file name
    buffer_time=5                   # Save after 5 seconds of inactivity
)

📝 Log Format

The output is clean and organized:

KEYSTROKE LOG - CLEAN FORMAT
======================================================================
Session Started: 2025-10-09 08:00:00 AM
======================================================================

[2025-10-09 08:00:15 AM]
This is a sample of typed text that appears cleanly in the log.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

[2025-10-09 08:00:45 AM]
Another batch of text after a pause in typing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

======================================================================
SESSION SUMMARY
======================================================================
Started:  2025-10-09 08:00:00 AM
Ended:    2025-10-09 08:05:30 AM
Duration: 0:05:30
======================================================================

🔍 What Gets Logged

• ✅ Regular alphanumeric keys
• ✅ Space, Enter, Tab
• ✅ Backspace (removes last character)
• ❌ Modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Win/Cmd)
• ❌ Navigation keys (arrows, Page Up/Down, Home/End)
• ❌ Function keys (F1-F12)

⚠️ Important Notes

Legal & Ethical Use

• Educational purposes only: This tool is for learning about keystroke logging
• Personal use only: Only use on your own computer
• Privacy: Never use this to monitor others without explicit consent
• Legal compliance: Unauthorized keystroke logging is illegal in most jurisdictions

Technical Considerations

• Requires appropriate system permissions
• May be flagged by antivirus software (false positive for legitimate educational tools)
• Should not be used on shared or public computers

🛡️ Privacy & Security

This is a basic educational implementation. If you're concerned about keystroke logging on your system:

• Keep your OS and security software updated
• Be cautious about running unknown scripts
• Use reputable security software
• Review running processes regularly

📜 License

For educational purposes only. Use responsibly and ethically.

🤝 Contributing

This is an educational project. Feel free to learn from the code and adapt it for your own learning purposes.

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Disclaimer: The authors are not responsible for misuse of this tool. Always respect privacy laws and ethical guidelines.