78 lines
4 KiB
Markdown
78 lines
4 KiB
Markdown
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AppleWirelessKeyboard for Wired Keyboards
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=========================================
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This is a simple modification of the original AppleWirelessKeyboard helper
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utility by [uxsoft](http://uxsoft.cz/projects/applewirelesskeyboard/) which
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also includes some basic support for the wired variant of the Apple Keyboard.
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This utility isn't really useful or needed if you're running BootCamp on a real
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Mac. Just stick with the Apple BootCamp stuff.
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Usage
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-----
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This is basically just the exact same AppleWirelessKeyboard tool with a few
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minor bug fixes and two new config options. The new config options are:
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* F keys are Mac special function keys by default [on/off]
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* Wired Keyboard. If enabled, fixes Eject key handling on a wired keyboard so that it toggles the above option on/off when pressed [on/off]
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Unfortunately, as I don't own an Apple wireless keyboard I did not add any kind
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of hardware auto-detection to toggle the second "Wired Keyboard" config option
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on or off as needed. For now you will need to set this option manually.
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When the "Wired Keyboard" option is turned off, everything will (should) work
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just as it did with the original version of this utility. This means things
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won't be quite perfect for you if you are using a wired keyboard and not a
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wireless one.
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When the "Wired Keyboard" option is turned on, the Eject key will be fixed to
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work the same way as it does with a wireless keyboard. That is, it is used to
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toggle if the function keys (F1 through F12) work as on Windows or OS X.
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This tool does not make the 'Fn' key work with a wired keyboard. It just
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gives you a simple work around. If you are using a wired keyboard none of the
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Fn key combinations will work regardless of if you're using this version or the
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original version of this utility.
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Why?
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----
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The original AppleWirelessKeyboard utility is not able to read the state of the
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'Fn' key at all when using a wired keyboard. This appears to be a driver issue,
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but I'm by no means an expert on low-level driver stuff in Windows so maybe it
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is possible to fix this. It doesn't seem to matter if you're using the default
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Windows provided driver, or the Apple driver from Lion's BootCamp driver
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collection... the 'Fn' key remains unreadable via this code.
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Using the Apple driver with the wired keyboard, at least for me, only seems to
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get you half-way there. Next/Previous/Play Fn key combos work, but the volume
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control key combos don't. Plus you don't get the nice OSD icons when you press
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them. And again, even with the Apple driver installed, this utility is still not
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able to read the state of the 'Fn' key.
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Basically, I could find no solution at all which worked the way I wanted it to
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with my wired keyboard.
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After playing with the original code for AppleWirelessKeyboard from
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[CodePlex](http://applewirelesskbrd.codeplex.com/) I noticed that the Eject key
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was still recognized somewhat. Just in a slightly different way then how the
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original code was set up to recognize it. The Eject key in Windows has always
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seemed funny to me and I know I'd never use it for it's original intended
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purpose, so it made the perfect substitute as a key to use to toggle F1-F12 key
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functionality.
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Issues / Missing Functionality
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------------------------------
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* The code using iTunesLib has been commented out. I don't use iTunes nor do I have it installed so I don't have a copy of this library so I couldn't build the code until I removed it. I don't know if the default media key mapping still in the code will work with iTunes anyway.
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* No automatic detection of which keyboard you are using (wired or wireless). I'd like to do this, but don't have a wireless keyboard for reference. You will need to set your config manually.
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* 'Fn' key combos still do not work with a wired keyboard. Use the Eject key to toggle F key functionality.
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* The "Restart" option is gone. This doesn't have a built-in equivalent in WPF.
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Bug Fixes
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---------
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* Settings are now saved. When you re-open the tool your last settings will still be there.
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* The system tray icon now disappears when the tool is closed and the tool now closes properly (the "WPF way").
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