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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > "I want to remap all the F keys except the volume keys..."

"I want to remap all the F keys except the volume keys..."
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megasad
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Aug 30, 2006, 07:52 PM
 
I did a search and this thread was the most appropriate I could find. Since it is over six months old, I start a new one.

So, on my MacBook, I wish to keep F1 - F5 as they are, but free up F6 and F7 to use for other things.

As in the linked thread, I know about the "Use the F1-F12 keys..." option in System Preferences. This is not what I want, or at least not exactly...

If anyone knows how to map F1-F5 to their respective default functions whilst having that preference checked, that'd work fine...

Otherwise, a way to free F6 (numlock) and F7 (detect displays) is what I, and I'm sure many others, hunger for.
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seanc
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Aug 30, 2006, 08:14 PM
 
You could map FN+Fx (x being a number) instead as a work around.
     
megasad  (op)
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Aug 30, 2006, 10:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by seanc
You could map FN+Fx (x being a number) instead as a work around.
That does seem like it should work... Any idea on how to do it using the Keyboard preference pane?
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seanc
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Aug 31, 2006, 07:58 AM
 
Hmm, I don't have an Apple keyboard so can't test it properly, but you can click the + at the bottom of the window to add a new shortcut.
     
megasad  (op)
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Aug 31, 2006, 08:13 AM
 
Originally Posted by seanc
Hmm, I don't have an Apple keyboard so can't test it properly, but you can click the + at the bottom of the window to add a new shortcut.
That works for adding regular shortcuts to existing menu commands; I use it extensively already.

What needs to be worked out is how to allocate keyboard shortcuts to events that have no menu command. ie - the screen brightness and audio volume controls.
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seanc
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Aug 31, 2006, 08:19 AM
 
Hmm, I guess you'll have to Google for a key re-mapping program.
     
iREZ
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Aug 31, 2006, 11:55 AM
 
versiontracker.com + uControl = answer you are looking for.

now whether it'll work on intel machines...thats another story.
NOW YOU SEE ME! 2.4 MBP and 2.0 MBP (running ubuntu)
     
megasad  (op)
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Sep 1, 2006, 12:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by seanc
Hmm, I guess you'll have to Google for a key re-mapping program.
I looked on Versiontracker and Google and could not find anything that does what I'm talking about.

Originally Posted by iREZ
versiontracker.com + uControl = answer you are looking for.

now whether it'll work on intel machines...thats another story.
I used to use uControl on my G3 iBook to turn the Enter key into another Option key. Alas, it doesn't work on MacBooks and it doesn't remap Function keys anyway.

The problem here is how to use the function keys to access commands that there are no other ways of getting at other than the sliders in System Preferences (and I guess the menu extra for audio).

Making F1 equals Fn-F1 seems most obvious, but nothing I can find will do that.

There is something that can do that?
BayBook (13" MacBook Pro, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 1TB HD) // BayPhone (iPhone 4, 32GB, black)
     
   
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