PC Like Danish Keyboard Layout in OS X
I just found Ukelele, an application that provides a nice GUI for editing keyboard layout files in OS X. This makes it easy to design your own keyboard layout for use in OS X, there by allowing you to decide what character each key sends.
The default danish keyboard layout in OS X is rather different from the typical layout of PC keyboards. I have to work in both OS X and Windows, and it is confusing that characters like [, { and @ are not available from the same keys. Ukelele allows me to solve this problem, by creating a keyboard layout that resembles the typical PC layout. Which means that I can now press [option]-[7] to get a {.
Furthermore I have installed DoubleCommand, an application that allows you to remap modifier keys. I use it to remap the return-key, next to the right command-key to a option-key. So that it works like the alt-gr key on PC’s. This program can also swap option and command keys so that option is positioned next to space like alt on PC’s, though I have not gone this far.
My keyboard layout can be downloaded here. It is installed by unzipping it to ~/Library/Keyboard Layouts and then logging out and in. The layout should now be available from the Input Menu in the International preference pane.
Update 26 feb. Corrected an error with the pipe character in the keyboard layout
Comments
I tried your layout on OSX 10.5.5, but ran into a problem where none of the character producing keys had any effect. That is to say, all modifier keys work as expected, same with arrow keys and backspace. However, any key that would normally produce a visible character fails to produce anything. I also downloaded Ukelele and tried the bundled layouts there, but ran into the same problem.
Is this something you´ve observed?
That was strange. The version available did not work for me either. I have put a new version online that should work.
Great!
I found that I really had to log out and in again before the keyboard layout worked.
When I put it in ~/Library/Keyboard Layouts, the new layout shows up as an alternative in the Input Menu from International preferences. However, when I select it as my active keyboard, it doesn’t accept any characters, unless I log out and in again. Also, quitting the System Preferences application is a good idea before you log out; I had variable success with switching keyboards unless I did this (OSX 10.5.5).
These annoyances remind me a lot of Windows, but it might be avoidable if you kill -HUP the right process(es). It’s just of finding them:)
Really nice work there, never could figure out why Apple has to have there own keyboard layout?!? Together with the meta key switcher i keyboard and mouse prefs. pane, this makes regular PC keyboards quite useable again with OSX :)
cheers
/Stig
Dos`nt work in OSX86 10.5.6
Any solution ?
Works for me. Have you remembered loggin out and in?
I will need some more details to be able to help.
Thanks a lot for the Danish like keyboard. Im a complete newbie to MacOSX - and would have been lost without your Layout.
Didn't work for my at first (on 10.6) - but after logging out and selecting the keyboard "Danish Like" under system settings it turned out to be a "Fault-40".
Thanks!
Brgds
PerB
new here too, but there is a little bug in this layout I got from here today?
<> (left for z) and ½§ (left for 1) keys got swapped in place (but elsewise output correctly) and the ½§ dont shown in the Ukelele....
Not sure its a double command issue, but I have only ticked
elsewise its a great layout!!!
Thank you both for the comments. I am glad it was useful to you.
Space Fractal: I do not see the error, but I am not using double command so perhaps you are right, that it is the issue.
You're my hero. Thanks for the effort!
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