How to re-map command and option keys on Mac OS X with a PC-keyboard?

in my keyboard the command key is mapped to the windows key (I'm using a regular PC keyboard) so I only have a left command, because the space on the right is occupied by the useless Fn key.

I've used Ukelele and also edited keyboard mappings but that's for printable characters, doesn't actually allow you to map modifier keys on the keyboard.

Thanks!

Petruza

Posted 2009-12-09T17:21:00.787

Reputation: 3 043

Up-voted for correctly referring to the Fn key as useless. – John – 2017-08-16T08:46:42.557

2Check in the Keyboard tab of the “Keyboard & Mouse” preference pane in System Preferences. Back in 10.4 there is a “Modifier Keys…” that lets you remap the modifier keys. With it you could reassign (for example) Control or Alt be your Command key. Maybe it is also there in whichever version of Mac OS X you are using. – Chris Johnsen – 2009-12-10T22:34:39.683

Answers

The answer was as easy as this:

Click the Apple logo in the top left of your screen
Select "System Preferences"
Select "Keyboard"
Make sure the "Keyboard" "tab" is selected
Select the "Modifier Keys..." button in the bottom right of the window
Select keyboard: "USB Keyboard" (probably - if you're like me, you're trying to configure a keyboard that's plugged in to your laptop)
Switch the "Option" and "Command" values

enter image description here

Petruza

Posted 2009-12-09T17:21:00.787

Reputation: 3 043

5This is a basic/primitive starting point. Karabiner offers many more options. – javadba – 2015-08-21T17:43:09.620

1Still valid for OS X Yosemite 10.10. Thanks! – Jonas Alves – 2015-08-24T18:04:39.910

Sadly, what is supposed to be the right option key is w/o functionality (it's a "fn" key on my keyboard). Having that key as an option key would allow for curly/squared braces on german windows keyboards. – Robert Metzger – 2020-02-16T12:54:00.997

@RobertMetzger hey, I asked this 10 years ago, do you know how can I prevent getting notifications from new comments? – Petruza – 2020-02-17T14:32:38.460

DoubleCommand can remap keys, you just need to know the Mac keyboard equivalents on your keyboard:

enter image description here

DoubleCommand is free and open source

John T

Posted 2009-12-09T17:21:00.787

Reputation: 149 037

1+1 I just made the switch and DoubleCommand saved me! – Eric Wendelin – 2009-12-09T21:36:34.233

Thanks, I'll give it a try. This software is always running or it just makes the changes and they stay in the OS? Also, isn't any plist file anywhere to do this? Thanks! – Petruza – 2009-12-11T11:57:57.543

I recommend this keymap software for Mac OSX: http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ I used doublecommand before, feel this is better.

Alex

Posted 2009-12-09T17:21:00.787

Reputation: 61

Karabiner-Elements (previously called KeyRemap4MacBook) is breaking Eject button on macOS Sierra, so logout shortcut doesn't work. I found working built-in solution which works for me: Changing modifier keys from the command line. – Virus_7 – 2017-03-27T00:31:16.250

If you're trying to do something that the built-in OSX preferences or apps like DoubleCommand can't change — like remap right-control to command but leave left-control as is — you can do that with a little Terminal hacking:

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20060825072451882

Dan M

Posted 2009-12-09T17:21:00.787

Reputation: 141

– Virus_7 – 2017-03-27T00:24:21.353