Apple Keyboard - ArchWiki

# Apple Keyboard

## More Information

For background information see this page: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AppleKeyboard

Note: Some of the settings can be made permanent with a configuration file for a kernel module. For this to work, the file has to be added to FILES in mkinitcpio.conf cause the kernel module will be autoloaded while booting.
Tip: If you want to use sudo to write into a system directory you can't use shell redirection. Use `tee` like so

    $ echo 0 | sudo tee /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/iso_layout

## Numlock is on

You may experience that numlock is on. The symptoms are present when only the physical keys, 7,8,9,u,i,o,j,k,l and surounding keys only work and output numbers. To fix this hit `Fn`+`F6` twice.

## Repeating Keys

Unpair the keyboard and then re-pair it. The trick is to hold down the power button throughout the entire pairing proccess (it's a two hand job)

## Function keys do not work

If your `F<num>` keys do not work, this is probably because the kernel driver for the keyboard has defaulted to using the media keys and requiring you to use the `Fn` key to get to the `F<num>` keys. To change this behaviour, you have to change the driver setting. Do the following as root:

    # echo 2 > /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/fnmode

If it tells you that the file doesn't exist, you probably have an older kernel and will have to do the following instead:

    # echo 2 > /sys/module/hid/parameters/pb_fnmode

Place whatever option worked for you in `/etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf` to make the setting permanent:

    /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf

    options hid_apple fnmode=2

Don't forget to add this file to FILES in mkinitcpio.conf, otherwise it will not work.

### If the above doesn't work for your wireless keyboard

If `hid_apple/parameters` and/or `hid/parameters/pb_fnmode` is missing in a recent Apple Bluetooth keyboard model and kernel 3.4.

First thing: identify your keyboard. Execute as root (`hidd` is part of package bluez from the official repositories):

    # hidd --show

You should see something like:

    40:CA:EC:32:85:AB Apple Wireless Keyboard [05ac:0255] connected

So with the vendor (05ac) and device (0255) ID it's easier to find out if the current kernel has support for it. Actually, the above device is listed in the linux kernel 3.4. If you check `drivers/hid/hid-ids.h` you should see the following line:

    #define USB_DEVICE_ID_APPLE_ALU_WIRELESS_2011_ANSI  0x0255

But support for the Function Key is missing.

In order to fix it rebuild your kernel from abs with the following patch: http://pastebin.com/CvFJz3Fn

This bug is already reported upstream https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=43135 and part of the vanilla kernel since 3.5

## < and > have changed place with § and ½

If the < and > are switched with the § and ½ keys, run the following command in your graphical environment:

    $ setxkbmap -option apple:badmap

Place that command into `~/.bashrc` file to have it run automatically when you log in.

You can also apply the change system-wide by creating (or editing) `/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keymap.conf` as such:

    Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "keyboard catchall"
        MatchIsKeyboard "true"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "XkbOptions" "apple:badmap"
    EndSection

If the above approach doesn't seem to work, you can add these two lines to your `~/.Xmodmap` file:

    keycode  49 = less greater less greater bar brokenbar
    keycode  94 = section degree section degree notsign notsign

If you use a Canadian multilingual layout (where the "ù" and the "/" is switch) use this :

    keycode  94 = slash backslash slash backslash bar brokenbar
    keycode  49 = ugrave Ugrave ugrave Ugrave notsign notsign

Then run `xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap`. This command can also go into `~/.bashrc`.

## < and > have changed place with ^ and °

With German layout, circumflex/degree symbol and 'smaller than'/'bigger than' are exchanged.

The new way:

First, try if the new method works for you (you have to be root)

    # echo 0 > /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/iso_layout

To make the changes permanent add the following line to `/etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf`:

    options hid_apple iso_layout=0

To fix this the old way, do the following:

    $ xmodmap -e 'keycode 49 = less greater less greater bar brokenbar bar' -e 'keycode 94 = dead_circumflex degree dead_circumflex degree U2032 U2033 U2032'

Now try your keys. When it works, you may want the change permanently. So execute this:

    $ xmodmap -pke | grep " 49" >> ~/.Xmodmap
    $ xmodmap -pke | grep " 94" >> ~/.Xmodmap

## Media Keys

The evdev driver should produce keycodes that map to the appropriate keysyms for your media keys by default. You can confirm that by running `xev` in a console window and watching the console output as you press your media keys.

For these keys to have any effect, you will have to assign actions to them. Refer to Extra keyboard keys in Xorg for more about that.

If you have confirmed that your media keys are not producing the correct keycodes, create or edit the `~/.Xmodmap` file so that it includes these lines:

    keycode 160 = XF86AudioMute
    keycode 176 = XF86AudioRaiseVolume
    keycode 174 = XF86AudioLowerVolume

    keycode 144 = XF86AudioPrev
    keycode 162 = XF86AudioPlay
    keycode 153 = XF86AudioNext

    keycode 101 = XF86MonBrightnessDown
    keycode 212 = XF86MonBrightnessUp

    keycode 204 = XF86Eject

and then run `xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap`. Place that command in the `~/.bashrc` file to have it run automatically when you log in.

## PrintScreen and SysRq

Apple Keyboards have an `F13` key instead of a `PrintScreen`/`SysRq` key. This means that Alt+SysRq sequences do not work, and application actions associated with `PrintScreen` (such as taking screenshots in many games that work under Wine) do not work. Both issues can be addressed by installing keyfuzzAUR from the Arch User Repository.

With keyfuzz installed, run the following command:

    echo "458856 99" | /usr/sbin/keyfuzz -s -d /dev/input/by-id/usb-Apple__Inc_Apple_keyboard-event-kbd

458856 (0x070068) is the scancode of `F13`, and 99 is the keycode of `PrintScreen`/`SysRq`. You can determine the scancode of a particular key with getscancodesAUR from the AUR, and the keycode from `/usr/include/linux/input.h`.

Other versions of the Apple Aluminum Keyboard may require a slightly different device path, so adjust it as needed. You can make this change permanent by putting the command in `/etc/rc.local`.

## Treating Apple Keyboards Like Regular Keyboards

If you want to use your Apple keyboard like a regular US-layout keyboard, with `Alt` on the left side of `Meta`, you can use the AUR package un-apple-keyboardAUR. Currently it only works for the aluminium USB model. The package does the following things:

- Adds a `/etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf` file which enables the `F` keys by default, as above.
- Uses keyfuzz to remap `F13-15` to `PrintScreen`/`SysRq`, `Scroll Lock`, and `Pause`, respectively
- Swaps the ordering of the `Alt` and `Meta` (`Command`) keys to match all other keyboards, again using `/etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf`.
- Applies these changes automatically when you plug in your keyboard, with a udev rule.

You will need to add `/etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf` to FILES in mkinitcpio.conf. Otherwise if you boot your computer with the Apple keyboard plugged in, the F keys will not be the default.

## Swap the Alt key and Command key(Meta/Super)

Temporarily

The following command will swap cmd and Alt keys with immediate effect, but restarting will reset the configuration:

    $ echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/swap_opt_cmd

Permanently

Run the following command to append the configuration line to the file /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf creating it if necessary:

    $ echo options hid_apple swap_opt_cmd=1 | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf

Then reboot.

Category:

- Keyboards