Mikołaj Buchwald

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Adapting macOS

23 Jul 2019

Making macOS more usable in terms of keyboard navigation.

Cmd+arrows to jump word

By default Cmd+right/left arrow sends you to end/binning of the line. The default keybind for jumping only one word is option+arrows, which is completely unusable (it is easier to use cmd). How often do you jump to the end/beginning of the line, compared to jumping/marking words?

The way to change it is to:

  1. Install Karabiner-Elements for macOS, then
  2. Go to Complex Modifications tab 01-Karabiner-complex-main
  3. Click + Add rule
  4. Import more rules from the Internet ... 02-Karabiner-complex-add-rule
  5. On the web page that will be opened, find and import Exchange command + arrow keys with option + arrow keys
  6. You are done

TODO get home and end to work (for non-mac keyboard)

Logitech K850 polish diacritics

For Logitech K850 keyboard on the right of the space key there is a command button. If you are used to having alt there (option) for typing polish characters, it may be distrurbing. 03-Keyboard-Logitech-K850 The way to fix that is to add Simple Modification in Karabiner: right_command -> right_option 04-Karabiner-Logitech-K850-right-Cmd-to-option

Logitech K850 and Jupyter

It is disturbing (so far) only with this keyboard in Jupyter, but rightmost key on bottom right corner (just before arrows) is an option key by default. It should be the control key for easier running cells in Jupyter (run-without-creating-new-cell-below is more often required – ctrl+return).

05-Karabiner-Logitech-K850-right-option-to-ctrl

Additionally, to view in macOS which keys are being pressed go to keyboard settings from status bar, and then Show Keyboard Viewer:

06-Show-Keyboard-Viewer 07-Keyboard-Viewer

Homebrew (brew) for multiple users

Instructions (source):

  1. Add brew group, add users to this group, validate with:
     groups $USER
    
  2. Change group of Homebrew directory
     sudo chgrp -R brew /usr/local/Homebrew
    
  3. Allow group to write inside of Homebrew directory
     sudo chmod -R g+w /usr/local/Homebrew
    
  4. Check if you can use Homebrew:
     brew doctor
    

Last modified on 23 August 2019


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