diff --git a/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp b/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp
index cec9401f5f7..194ef841b53 100644
--- a/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp
+++ b/client/hostinfo_unix.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
 #include <cstring>
+
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __GLIBC__
@@ -179,6 +180,12 @@ extern "C" {
 //
 #if (defined(__linux__) || defined(__GNU__) || defined(__GLIBC__))  && !defined(__HAIKU__)
 #define LINUX_LIKE_SYSTEM 1
+// not sure if that's the correct place to put it
+#include <libevdev/libevdev.h>
+#include <libevdev/libevdev-uinput.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+// #include <unistd.h> || library already included 
+#include <glob.h>
 #endif
 
 #if WASM
@@ -2003,6 +2010,75 @@ const vector<string> X_display_values_initialize() {
     return display_values;
 }
 
+void getIdleTime() {
+    long idleTime = 0;
+    // Use glob to enumerate input devices in /dev/input/
+    glob_t globbuf;
+    if (glob("/dev/input/event*", GLOB_NOSORT, nullptr, &globbuf) != 0) {
+        std::cerr << "Failed to enumerate input devices. " << std::endl;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Create libevdev structures for each device
+    libevdev* devices[globbuf.gl_pathc];
+ 
+    // Open and initialize each device
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < globbuf.gl_pathc; ++i) {
+        const char* devicePath = globbuf.gl_pathv[i];
+        int fd = open(devicePath, O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+        if (fd < 0) {
+            std::cerr << "Failed to open device (Permission denied?): " << devicePath << std::endl;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (libevdev_new_from_fd(fd, &devices[i]) < 0) {
+            std::cerr << "Failed to initialize libevdev for device: " << devicePath << std::endl;
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Main loop to monitor input events
+    while (true) {
+        bool systemInUse = false;
+
+        // Read events from all devices
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < globbuf.gl_pathc; ++i) {
+            struct input_event ev;
+            int rc;
+
+            while ((rc = libevdev_next_event(devices[i], LIBEVDEV_READ_FLAG_NORMAL, &ev)) == 1) {
+                // Handle input events as needed
+                // For this example, we simply print event information
+                std::cout << "Event type: " << ev.type << ", code: " << ev.code << ", value: " << ev.value << std::endl;
+
+                // Set systemInUse to true if an event is detected
+                systemInUse = true;
+            }
+
+            if (rc < 0 && rc != -EAGAIN) {
+                std::cerr << "Error reading from device: " << globbuf.gl_pathv[i] << std::endl;
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+        if (systemInUse) {
+            std::cout << "System is being used." << std::endl;
+            idleTime = 0;
+        } else {
+            std::cout << "System is not being used." << std::endl;
+            idleTime += 5;
+        }
+        // You can add a sleep here to reduce CPU usage
+        sleep(5);
+        printf("Idle time: %ld\n", idleTime); 
+    }
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < globbuf.gl_pathc; ++i) {
+        libevdev_free(devices[i]);
+    }
+    globfree(&globbuf);
+
+    return;
+}
+
 // Ask the X server for user idle time (using XScreenSaver API)
 // Return min of idle times.
 // This function assumes that the boinc user has been
@@ -2011,6 +2087,7 @@ const vector<string> X_display_values_initialize() {
 // One may drop a file in /etc/X11/Xsession.d/ that runs the xhost command
 // for all Xservers on a machine when the Xservers start up.
 //
+
 long xss_idle() {
     long idle_time = USER_IDLE_TIME_INF;
     const vector<string> display_values = X_display_values_initialize();