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#### 16.3.66 sendkey

Command: sendkey [`--num`|`--caps`|`--scroll`|`--insert`|`--pause`|`--left-shift`|`--right-shift`|`--sysrq`|`--numkey`|`--capskey`|`--scrollkey`|`--insertkey`|`--left-alt`|`--right-alt`|`--left-ctrl`|`--right-ctrl` ‘`on`’|‘`off`’]… [`no-led`] keystroke ¶

  Insert keystrokes into the keyboard buffer when booting. Sometimes an operating system or chainloaded boot loader requires particular keys to be pressed: for example, one might need to press a particular key to enter "safe mode", or when chainloading another boot loader one might send keystrokes to it to navigate its menu.

  You may provide up to 16 keystrokes (the length of the BIOS keyboard buffer). Keystroke names may be upper-case or lower-case letters, digits, or taken from the following table:

  Name | Key
  --- | ---
  escape | Escape
  exclam | !
  at | @
  numbersign | #
  dollar | $
  percent | %
  caret | ^
  ampersand | &
  asterisk | *
  parenleft | (
  parenright | )
  minus | -
  underscore | _
  equal | =
  plus | +
  backspace | Backspace
  tab | Tab
  bracketleft | [
  braceleft | {
  bracketright | ]
  braceright | }
  enter | Enter
  control | press and release Control
  semicolon | ;
  colon | :
  quote | ’
  doublequote | "
  backquote | ‘
  tilde | ~
  shift | press and release left Shift
  backslash | \
  bar | |
  comma | ,
  less | <
  period | .
  greater | >
  slash | /
  question | ?
  rshift | press and release right Shift
  alt | press and release Alt
  space | space bar
  capslock | Caps Lock
  F1 | F1
  F2 | F2
  F3 | F3
  F4 | F4
  F5 | F5
  F6 | F6
  F7 | F7
  F8 | F8
  F9 | F9
  F10 | F10
  F11 | F11
  F12 | F12
  num1 | 1 (numeric keypad)
  num2 | 2 (numeric keypad)
  num3 | 3 (numeric keypad)
  num4 | 4 (numeric keypad)
  num5 | 5 (numeric keypad)
  num6 | 6 (numeric keypad)
  num7 | 7 (numeric keypad)
  num8 | 8 (numeric keypad)
  num9 | 9 (numeric keypad)
  num0 | 0 (numeric keypad)
  numperiod | . (numeric keypad)
  numend | End (numeric keypad)
  numdown | Down (numeric keypad)
  numpgdown | Page Down (numeric keypad)
  numleft | Left (numeric keypad)
  numcenter | 5 with Num Lock inactive (numeric keypad)
  numright | Right (numeric keypad)
  numhome | Home (numeric keypad)
  numup | Up (numeric keypad)
  numpgup | Page Up (numeric keypad)
  numinsert | Insert (numeric keypad)
  numdelete | Delete (numeric keypad)
  numasterisk | * (numeric keypad)
  numminus | - (numeric keypad)
  numplus | + (numeric keypad)
  numslash | / (numeric keypad)
  numenter | Enter (numeric keypad)
  delete | Delete
  insert | Insert
  home | Home
  end | End
  pgdown | Page Down
  pgup | Page Up
  down | Down
  up | Up
  left | Left
  right | Right

  As well as keystrokes, the `sendkey` command takes various options that affect the BIOS keyboard status flags. These options take an ‘`on`’ or ‘`off`’ parameter, specifying that the corresponding status flag be set or unset; omitting the option for a given status flag will leave that flag at its initial state at boot. The `--num`, `--caps`, `--scroll`, and `--insert` options emulate setting the corresponding mode, while the `--numkey`, `--capskey`, `--scrollkey`, and `--insertkey` options emulate pressing and holding the corresponding key. The other status flag options are self-explanatory.

  If the `--no-led` option is given, the status flag options will have no effect on keyboard LEDs.

  If the `sendkey` command is given multiple times, then only the last invocation has any effect.

  Since `sendkey` manipulates the BIOS keyboard buffer, it may cause hangs, reboots, or other misbehaviour on some systems. If the operating system or boot loader that runs after GRUB uses its own keyboard driver rather than the BIOS keyboard functions, then `sendkey` will have no effect.

  This command is only available on PC BIOS systems.

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