Needed to disable my laptop’s built-in keyboard when using an external one. Found a simple xinput solution.

The Problem

Using external keyboard but laptop keys still register. Accidental keypresses are annoying.

The Solution

Use xinput to disable the built-in keyboard:

# 1. List all input devices
xinput list

# Find your keyboard, looks like:
# ⎜   ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard    id=12 [slave keyboard (3)]

# 2. Disable it
xinput set-prop "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard" "Device Enabled" 0

# 3. Re-enable when needed
xinput set-prop "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard" "Device Enabled" 1

Make It Easier with Aliases

Add to .bashrc or .zshrc:

alias kb-off='xinput set-prop "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard" "Device Enabled" 0'
alias kb-on='xinput set-prop "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard" "Device Enabled" 1'

Source the file:

source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc

Now just type kb-off or kb-on.

Important Note

These changes are temporary. System reboot resets everything.

For permanent solution, create a script and set it to run at startup.

Safety tip: Always have a way to re-enable the keyboard! If your external keyboard disconnects, you’ll need the built-in one.