Initial commit: Teams keep-active tool for Linux (X11) and Windows

Cross-platform anti-idle utility that keeps Microsoft Teams showing
Available by resetting the OS idle timer with an invisible input signal.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

stay_active.py

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""stay_active.py — keep Microsoft Teams (and any OS-idle-based presence) showing 'Available'.
+
+Teams marks you 'Away' when the OS reports no keyboard/mouse activity for ~5 minutes.
+This tool resets the X11 idle timer periodically by tapping a harmless key (F15 by
+default — it has no visible effect and is not bound to anything on a normal desktop).
+
+No third-party packages required: it calls the X11 XTest extension directly via ctypes.
+X11 sessions only (XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11). Press Ctrl+C to stop.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import ctypes
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+
+# --- X11 / XTest bindings via ctypes -----------------------------------------
+
+try:
+    _x11 = ctypes.CDLL("libX11.so.6")
+    _xtst = ctypes.CDLL("libXtst.so.6")
+except OSError as e:
+    sys.exit(f"Could not load X11 libraries: {e}\nThis tool requires an X11 session.")
+
+_x11.XOpenDisplay.restype = ctypes.c_void_p
+_x11.XOpenDisplay.argtypes = [ctypes.c_char_p]
+_x11.XKeysymToKeycode.restype = ctypes.c_uint
+_x11.XKeysymToKeycode.argtypes = [ctypes.c_void_p, ctypes.c_ulong]
+_x11.XFlush.argtypes = [ctypes.c_void_p]
+_xtst.XTestFakeKeyEvent.argtypes = [
+    ctypes.c_void_p, ctypes.c_uint, ctypes.c_int, ctypes.c_ulong
+]
+_xtst.XTestFakeRelativeMotionEvent.argtypes = [
+    ctypes.c_void_p, ctypes.c_int, ctypes.c_int, ctypes.c_ulong
+]
+
+# X keysyms for a few no-op keys. F15 is the safest default.
+KEYSYMS = {
+    "f13": 0xFFCA,
+    "f14": 0xFFCB,
+    "f15": 0xFFCC,
+    "shift": 0xFFE1,  # Shift_L — no character, but modifies if held with another key
+}
+
+
+def open_display():
+    disp = _x11.XOpenDisplay(None)
+    if not disp:
+        display = os.environ.get("DISPLAY", "(unset)")
+        sys.exit(f"Could not open X display (DISPLAY={display}). Run inside your desktop session.")
+    return disp
+
+
+def tap_key(disp, keycode):
+    _xtst.XTestFakeKeyEvent(disp, keycode, True, 0)   # press
+    _xtst.XTestFakeKeyEvent(disp, keycode, False, 0)  # release
+    _x11.XFlush(disp)
+
+
+def nudge_mouse(disp):
+    # Move 1px, then back — resets the idle timer without the cursor visibly moving.
+    _xtst.XTestFakeRelativeMotionEvent(disp, 1, 0, 0)
+    _xtst.XTestFakeRelativeMotionEvent(disp, -1, 0, 0)
+    _x11.XFlush(disp)
+
+
+def main():
+    p = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Keep Teams presence 'Available' by resetting the idle timer.")
+    p.add_argument("-i", "--interval", type=float, default=120,
+                   help="seconds between key taps (default: 120; keep under Teams' ~300s Away threshold)")
+    p.add_argument("-m", "--method", choices=["mouse", "key"], default="mouse",
+                   help="how to signal activity (default: mouse — a 1px nudge that returns)")
+    p.add_argument("-k", "--key", choices=KEYSYMS.keys(), default="shift",
+                   help="key to tap when --method key is used (default: shift — always mapped)")
+    p.add_argument("-q", "--quiet", action="store_true", help="don't print heartbeat messages")
+    args = p.parse_args()
+
+    if os.environ.get("XDG_SESSION_TYPE", "").lower() not in ("x11", ""):
+        print(f"Warning: session type is '{os.environ.get('XDG_SESSION_TYPE')}', not x11. "
+              "XTest may not reset the idle timer under Wayland.", file=sys.stderr)
+
+    disp = open_display()
+
+    if args.method == "key":
+        keycode = _x11.XKeysymToKeycode(disp, KEYSYMS[args.key])
+        if keycode == 0:
+            sys.exit(f"Key '{args.key}' has no keycode on this layout. Try --method mouse.")
+        action = lambda: tap_key(disp, keycode)
+        label = f"tapping '{args.key}'"
+    else:
+        action = lambda: nudge_mouse(disp)
+        label = "nudging mouse 1px"
+
+    if not args.quiet:
+        print(f"stay_active: {label} every {args.interval:g}s. Press Ctrl+C to stop.")
+
+    taps = 0
+    try:
+        while True:
+            action()
+            taps += 1
+            if not args.quiet:
+                print(f"\r  active — {taps} signal(s) sent, last at {time.strftime('%H:%M:%S')}",
+                      end="", flush=True)
+            time.sleep(args.interval)
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        if not args.quiet:
+            print("\nstay_active: stopped.")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()