New to Macintosh, but like Windows XP keyboard behavior?
Are you a Mac transplant? Perhaps you’re new to the Mac after spending time in the Windows world? Whatever the case may be, you may find the keyboard characteristics on the Mac confusing, or you may just prefer how certain keys function in Windows. For example, do you like how pressing the Home and End keys in XP moves the cursor to the beginning and end of the line? Take heart. Changing the default keyboard action of Mac OS X is an easy task.
Provided below are two sets of instruction; One for non-UNIX users, the other for UNIX users. Pick your poison, but believe it or not, the UNIX method is easiest!
Non-UNIX Method:
- Download this file to your desktop. This should put a file called DefaultKeyBinding.dict on your desktop.
- In Finder, click the “Go” menu, and select “Go to Folder…”
- Type in (with the trailing forward slash):
~/Library/ - In the new window, look for a folder called “KeyBindings”. If it doesn’t exist, create it.
- Move the file you unarchived in step 2 (called “DefaultKeyBinding.dict”) into this new folder.
- Relaunch your applications or log out and log back in.
UNIX Method:
- Open Terminal.app
- Copy and paste the following into terminal:
cd ~/Library/; mkdir KeyBinding; cd KeyBinding; echo "/* ~/Library/KeyBindings/DefaultKeyBinding.dict */
/* new keybindings for partial Windows keyboard emulation from Chris Brewer */
{
"^\010" = "deleteWordBackward:";
"\UF729" = "moveToBeginningOfLine:";
"^\UF729" = "moveToBeginningOfDocument:";
"$\UF729" = "moveToBeginningOfLineAndModifySelection:";
"$^\UF729" = "moveToBeginningOfDocumentAndModifySelection:";
"\UF72B" = "moveToEndOfLine:";
"^\UF72B" = "moveToEndOfDocument:";
"$\UF72B" = "moveToEndOfLineAndModifySelection:";
"$^\UF72B" = "moveToEndOfDocumentAndModifySelection:";
"^\UF702" = "moveWordBackward:";
"^\UF703" = "moveWordForward:";
"$^\UF702" = "moveWordBackwardAndModifySelection:";
"$^\UF703" = "moveWordForwardAndModifySelection:";
"\UF72C" = "pageUp:";
"\UF72D" = "pageDown:";
"^z" = "undo:";
"$\UF728" = "cut:";
"$\UF746" = "paste:";
"^\UF746" = "copy:";
}">DefaultKeyBinding.dict - Relaunch your apps or log out and log back in.
To remove the new keyboard behavior, simple delete this file and log out and log in.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! I have always been a windows user, but there has always been something “Je ne sais quios” about the Mac. I have a power mac g4 and have found it very annoying that Macs have the home and end keys, but they don’t do jack in most cases. Your trashy words are god sent to me! I am awaiting my MacBook’s arrival ( i ordered one a few days ago!) and will try this out on it. Now if only you could find a way to make that darn one button mouse work like a two button mouse, I’d throw my windows into the real trash!