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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: symezy123 on Tue, 07 April 2015, 10:56:44

Title: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: symezy123 on Tue, 07 April 2015, 10:56:44

Hey there GH.

I'm considering getting an HHKB as a second keyboard for the MacBook that's cluttering up my desk.
Fortunately, I've been given the opportunity to try out a friend's realforce board and I quite like the topre switches and I really like the 60% form factor.

However, seeing I'll be using it primarily on OSX, I've been looking it at the Pro Jp, so that I could use the extra kana/function keys for common OSX shortcuts like Exposè, app view, brightness adjustment or set them to custom macros, what have you.

Can this be achieved through software, and if so, what should I use? Or would I have to replace the board controller to enable those keys?

Cheers,

Symezy

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: SpAmRaY on Tue, 07 April 2015, 10:59:36

For Mac OSX I think you want karabiner.

pqrs.irg/osx/karabiner

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: symezy123 on Tue, 07 April 2015, 22:01:35

So, I'll probably be buying the HHKB JP over the Pro 2 if Karabiner does in fact work work with the Kana keys. Are there any members with firsthand experience?

Cheers,


Symezy

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: hasu on Tue, 07 April 2015, 22:13:33

I don't have Mac, so not sure but...

You need Sail for this, more exactly.
Also PFU has Mac driver for HHKB.

JUST FYI.

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: symezy123 on Tue, 07 April 2015, 22:20:55

For what it's worth, the only drivers I could find on the PFU site (Thank God for google translate) were for the HHKB and Mac layouts. I think because of it being a variation on the standard JIS layout PFU doesn't have drivers for the JP.

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: hasu on Tue, 07 April 2015, 23:00:46

Blame Google Translate.

http://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/hhkeyboard/macdownload.html

This dirver can be used with following keyboard models:
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional2
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional HG
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional Type-S

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: symezy123 on Tue, 07 April 2015, 23:03:58

Hasu, thanks a bunch. :)

So, how would I go about testing these drivers, and more specifically, seeing if I can reassign key functions?

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: hasu on Tue, 07 April 2015, 23:32:03

You need Karabiner to remap keys.
And you need Seil or PFU Mac driver to make Mac recognize Japanese specific keys as far as I know.

So I think you can remap those keys with Seil+Karabiner or PFU Mac driver+Karabiner combination.
Though I've never used these tools and HHKB JP in fact :p

Hope anybody with real experience comes out.

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: Valen on Wed, 08 April 2015, 03:41:17

All you need is Seil and Karabiner to make Mac recognize and reassign those extra keys. There is no need to install drivers.

Title: Re: HHKB PRO JP Kana keys question.
Post by: TopreFan333 on Wed, 08 April 2015, 11:41:00

Mac / HHKB Pro user here -- I found the OS X driver to be irrelevant. The volume keys worked out of the box, F4 worked for Dashboard (well, Launchpad, but that's useless so I switched it to Dashboard), and oddly, a couple of random keys (FN+O and P, I believe?) seem to work for brightness when it's plugged into my Macbook. None of that changed when I tried the driver, so I just uninstalled it on principle. If you do try it, note that Elite Keyboards has some screenshots posted with English translations of the installer screens.

Not sure how any of this relates to the JP version of course -- but I've found Karabiner to be quite capable.