# remarkable_mouse turns a reMarkable into a pressure sensitive pen

> remarkable_mouse is a Python tool that bridges a reMarkable tablet over SSH and replays its stylus as a graphics tablet on a Linux or macOS host. It gives pen pressure on X11 through evdev, at the cost of running the tablet as a remote Linux device.

**Evidlo/remarkable_mouse** — use your reMarkable as a graphics tablet

- Repository: https://github.com/Evidlo/remarkable_mouse
- Stars: 640 · Forks: 71
- Language: Python
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-10-21 · Updated: 2026-10-21 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/evidlo-remarkable-mouse

## The reMarkable is driven over SSH, not over a display link

The core idea of remarkable_mouse is to stop treating the reMarkable as a second screen and start treating it as an input device. The tablet is still running its own Linux system, and the host reaches it over the network rather than over USB video. The documented default address is 10.11.99.1, and the password comes from the tablet's own settings menu, which is how the reMarkable community exposes SSH access. The project dependencies make the mechanism clear: paramiko handles the SSH transport, pynput synthesises mouse and pen events on the host, screeninfo enumerates monitors so the drawing surface can be matched to a display, and libevdev backs the optional pressure path. That stack is why the README frames the tool as a host side daemon that pulls input from a remote device.

## Three scaling modes decide how tablet and monitor map onto each other

Mapping coordinates between a differently sized tablet and a differently sized monitor is where most remote tablet tools get blurry, and the mode option is the knob that controls it. The usage text defines three choices. Fit is the default and takes up the entire tablet without necessarily filling the monitor. Fill does the opposite, taking up the entire monitor without necessarily filling the tablet. Stretch covers both completely but gives up on aspect ratio, which will visibly distort circles drawn with the stylus. The orientation option, one of top, left, right or bottom, records where the tablet's buttons sit so the drawing surface is offset correctly, and the monitor option picks the display to draw on when more than one is attached.

## Pressure arrives only through evdev, and evdev needs root

This is the sharpest limitation in the project. The README states that if you are on Linux using X11 you can use the --evdev option for pressure support, and the usage text marks it as requiring root, Linux only. The documented invocation escalates privileges for the whole process, which is why the README's own example preserves the environment variables the tool needs. On a macOS host, or on Linux without X11, there is no equivalent path described, so stylus pressure is not available there. The threshold option sets the stylus pressure value above which the stroke counts as active, with a default of 600, which is also the knob to turn when a particular pen feels unresponsive.

## Installing is a pip install, but the first connection needs SSH access on the tablet

The Quick Start section is short because the packaging does the work. On the host machine with the tablet plugged in over USB, the package installs and the command starts.

```bash
pip install remarkable-mouse
remouse
```

The password can be passed on the command line together with the display and orientation choices.

```bash
remouse --orientation right --mode fit --monitor 1 --password foobar
```

Running without a password prompt each time is possible by installing an SSH key on the tablet first.

```bash
ssh-keygen -m PEM -t rsa -f ~/.ssh/remarkable -N ''
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/remarkable.pub root@10.11.99.1
remouse
```

The key path is then pointed at with --key, and password entry is no longer required for that host.

## The GUI region selector needs a Tk package the README calls out

The --region flag opens a graphical window so you can drag the output area into place, and the README notes that this may require installing python3-tk or python3-tkinter with your package manager. The usage text adds a warning that overrides --monitor, so the two options are mutually exclusive in practice rather than one refining the other. This is a fair sign of the tool's shape: it is written for a person at a desk who wants to place the tablet area on a large monitor, not for a headless service. Where a GUI is inconvenient, the numeric --monitor option and the --orientation setting cover the same ground without extra packages.

## remarkable_keyboard covers the trackpad case remarkable_mouse ignores

The project deliberately scopes itself to pen input and points elsewhere for the rest. The README refers readers to a sibling project, remarkable_keyboard, for using the reMarkable as a wireless trackpad or keyboard. remarkable_mouse itself credits libremarkable and rmWacomToMouse as inspiration, which places it in the same family of tools that repurpose the tablet as pointing hardware. Where it differs from a plain mouse bridge is the stylus path: the pen is captured with its pressure and mapped through the same scaling and orientation logic, so drawing applications see a pressure capable pointer rather than a button click. That is the whole value proposition, and it is the reason the tool depends on evdev rather than on a generic input library alone.

## Version 7.2.0 ships from PyPI with no GitHub release history

The pyproject.toml records version 7.2.0 under the distribution name remarkable-mouse, licensed GPL-3.0-only and requiring Python 3 or later, and it exposes two console entry points, remarkable-mouse and remouse, both pointing at the same main function. The Makefile shows how releases are made: a dist target runs python -m build and a pypi target uploads the built artifacts with twine. The repository itself has no GitHub releases, so the version number in the manifest is the reference point for what is installed. The last push was on 2026-08-15, and the README still carries a help wanted note saying reMarkable Pro support is currently buggy because the author does not own that device.

## Conclusion

Adopt remarkable_mouse if you own a reMarkable and want a pressure sensitive pen for sketching or photo editing on a desktop, and skip it if you only need a trackpad or keyboard, since the author points to remarkable_keyboard for that. Verify first that the tablet is reachable over SSH at 10.11.99.1 and that you can accept root login from the host, because the whole data path depends on that, and check the reMarkable Pro issue thread before buying the newer hardware, since its support is described as buggy.

## FAQ

### How do I install remarkable_mouse?

On the host machine with the tablet plugged in via USB, install the package with pip and run the remouse command. The default device address is 10.11.99.1 and the password is found in the reMarkable settings menu.

### Does remarkable_mouse support stylus pressure?

Yes, but only through the --evdev option on Linux with X11, and that path requires root. The threshold option controls the stylus pressure threshold and defaults to 600.

### Can I use the reMarkable as a trackpad or keyboard?

The README points to a separate project, remarkable_keyboard, for using the reMarkable as a wireless trackpad or keyboard.

### Is reMarkable Pro supported?

The README states that reMarkable Pro support is currently buggy because the author does not own that device, and links to an issue thread for developers willing to add or fix support.

## Sources

- [Evidlo/remarkable_mouse on GitHub](https://github.com/Evidlo/remarkable_mouse)
- [Issues](https://github.com/Evidlo/remarkable_mouse/issues)
- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/Evidlo/remarkable_mouse/blob/master/LICENSE)
- [README](https://github.com/Evidlo/remarkable_mouse/blob/master/README.md)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/evidlo-remarkable-mouse