MacOS – Wired Keyboard not working properly

cinema-displaykeyboardmacbook promacos

In Chrome I often toggle between open tabs using Ctrl + tab to go forward, and Ctrl + Shift + tab to go backwards.

For some reason, I can't get the reverse navigation working (using Shift) when using this keyboard. It does work if I use the key combos directly from my laptop's keyboard, however. It's also not working in Messages, to go between conversations.

My Apple wired keyboard (full size with number pad) is plugged into my 30 inch Cinema display, but to be honest, it still doesn't work if I plug directly in to my laptop.

Any ideas?

Update: On both my internal laptop and wired keyboard, I've remapped the Caps Lock key to be the Control key, and vice versa. If I restore defaults, the tab cycling is fixed. If I set the Caps Lock key back to being the Control key, and try to cycle backwards, it breaks. Just confirmed the same is true in Safari. And, no matter how I modify the keys of the internal keyboard, cycling is perfect.

Best Answer

If the Shift key works in normal context, and if the same combo doesn't work in say Safari, then I'd think the keyboard hardware has an issue, or the keyboard combination is mapped to another function in Keyboard Shortcuts.

I mapped the combo to Show Launchpad and experienced the exact same issue. Shift works, Ctrl + tab works, but because I mapped the combo elsewhere it was no longer available to apps to use, and Ctrl + Shift + tab failed in Chrome and Safari.

If that is not the case, then its remotely possible that the keyboard is faulty, but since I would expect other combinations to fail if it were faulty, you haven't mentioned any and I assume that none are.

Related Solutions

MacOS – Control not working in iTerm 2 when using Programmer Dvorak keyboard layout

Edit: There is now a new version of Programmer Dvorak that works with key combinations like ⌃A, so the instructions below are no longer needed.

◊ Option modifier is currently non-functional. Also, you cannot replace a default Roman layout with this one. Control keys should now be functional.

Option worked everywhere I tested, so non-functional could just mean that states under option don't output non-ASCII characters. If you want to disable all other input sources, you can edit the HIToolBox plist.

Instructions for older versions of Programmer Dvorak:

Open /Library/Keyboard Layouts/Programmer Dvorak.bundle/Contents/Resources/Programmer Dvorak.keylayout

And add this to modifierMap:

<keyMapSelect mapIndex="3">
  <modifier keys="control anyOption? anyShift?"/>
</keyMapSelect>

Add this to keyMapSet:

<keyMap index="3">
  <key code="0" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="1" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="2" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="3" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="4" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="5" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="6" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="7" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="8" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="9" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="10" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="11" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="12" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="13" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="14" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="15" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="16" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="17" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="18" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="19" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="20" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="21" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="22" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="23" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="24" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="25" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="26" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="27" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="28" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="29" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="30" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="31" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="32" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="33" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="34" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="35" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="36" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="37" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="38" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="39" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="40" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="41" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="42" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="43" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="44" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="45" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="46" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="47" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="48" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="49" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="50" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="51" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="52" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="53" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="64" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="65" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="66" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="67" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="69" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="70" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="71" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="72" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="75" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="76" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="77" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="78" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="79" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="80" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="81" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="82" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="83" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="84" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="85" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="86" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="87" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="88" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="89" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="91" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="92" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="96" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="97" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="98" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="99" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="100" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="101" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="102" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="103" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="104" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="105" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="106" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="107" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="108" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="109" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="110" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="111" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="112" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="113" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="114" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="115" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="116" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="117" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="118" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="119" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="120" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="121" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="122" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="123" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="124" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="125" output="&#x0000;"/>
  <key code="126" output="&#x0000;"/>
</keyMap>

Run sudo touch /Library/Keyboard\ Layouts/ and log out and back in

MacOS – Re-map keys on keyboard

Install and launch Karabiner. In the menubar open the menulet Karabiner -> Preferences. Then hit the tab "Misc & Uninstall" and "Open private.xml"

Paste the following lines into the opened xml file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
    <item>
      <name>Swap Minus and Alt+Shift+Minus</name>
      <identifier>remap.minus_and_optionlshiftlminus</identifier>
      <autogen>
        __KeyToKey__ 
        KeyCode::MINUS, ModifierFlag::NONE,
        KeyCode::MINUS, ModifierFlag::SHIFT_L | ModifierFlag::OPTION_L
      </autogen>
      <autogen>
        __KeyToKey__
        KeyCode::MINUS, ModifierFlag::SHIFT_L | ModifierFlag::OPTION_L,
        KeyCode::MINUS,
      </autogen>
    </item>
</root>

and save the file.

Return to the tab "Change Key", hit "ReloadXML" and enable "Swap Minus and Alt+Shift+Minus". It should be the first entry listed.

If you are left-handed you may replace _L by _R in the xml file.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MacOS – Control not working in iTerm 2 when using Programmer Dvorak keyboard layout

MacOS – Re-map keys on keyboard

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