USB Keyboard, British PC layout, mapping layouts on a per keyboard basis

[TimJWatts]

Hi,

It's pretty much as the subject - and a search here + googling has not found me the answer. Long term linux user, switching to MacBook...

In full, I have a British USB Logitech keyboard and I cannot work out how to get the layout right for that keyboard without also changing it for the MacBook's built in one.

The problem being the symbol mappings mostly (" and @ reversed, several others wrong).

Could anyone give me a point please on how to set the layout on a per device basis please

Cheers - Tim

 

[ferrarr]

What does Logitech say? They have software for their devices.

 

[TimJWatts]

What does Logitech say? They have software for their devices.

It's definitely not a Logitech problem - it's a generic wired keyboard as far as the OS knows - in fact it's very generic - pretty much a Windows 105 key PC layout with a few media keys added (which I don't care about too much). This problem would exist for any and all non Apple keyboards plugged in.

This is something that would normally (on other OSes) be dealt with by the OS - but how, is highly variable.

I'd be surprised if MacOSX couldn't handle different keyboard maps for different physical devices that were simultaneously attached[1] but I can't for the life of me find out how!

[1] No problem if I only use one keyboard at a time

Cheers,

Tim

 

[gsahli]

Would this help?
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20071102162602375

 

[TimJWatts]

Sadly not. I *can* get the keyboard working - one of the built in keyboard maps works well enough (as I said, it's a standard 105 key device, British layout, plus a few extra media keys I don't care about).

The problem is: How do I get 2 keyboards with different layouts to work *simultaneously*?

Someone on USENET suggested Karabiner Elements, so I'll have a look at that. But I find it difficult to believe Apple didn't cover a very common and basic use case???

 

[chscag]

In full, I have a British USB Logitech keyboard and I cannot work out how to get the layout right for that keyboard without also changing it for the MacBook's built in one.

Assuming that your MacBook or MacBook Pro is a UK model with built in UK style keyboard, the only way that I know to have both the external and internal layouts the same and work simultaneously is to purchase a UK Apple wired or wireless keyboard.

I used an external wired keyboard for years with a MacBook that I previously owned. Both layouts matched and worked together because the external keyboard was an Apple keyboard.

But I find it difficult to believe Apple didn't cover a very common and basic use case???

Apple hardware for the most part is proprietary and designed to work with genuine Apple devices. PC keyboards do work with Apple products but there are trade offs. I guess you know that Logitech is a large supplier of devices that are designed specifically to work with Apple products, however, your Logitech keyboard was designed for PCs. That may be the difference.