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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!

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    Check 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. Dec 10, 2009 at 22:34
  • Up-voted for correctly referring to the Fn key as useless.
    – John
    Aug 16, 2017 at 8:46

4 Answers 4

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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

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    This is a basic/primitive starting point. Karabiner offers many more options. Aug 21, 2015 at 17:43
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    Still valid for OS X Yosemite 10.10. Thanks! Aug 24, 2015 at 18:04
  • 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. Feb 16, 2020 at 12:54
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    @RobertMetzger hey, I asked this 10 years ago, do you know how can I prevent getting notifications from new comments?
    – Petruza
    Feb 17, 2020 at 14:32
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    For Ventura the dialog is different. The modifiers keys are under "keyboard shortcuts".
    – Ismael
    Oct 12, 2023 at 17:25
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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

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    +1 I just made the switch and DoubleCommand saved me! Dec 9, 2009 at 21:36
  • 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
    Dec 11, 2009 at 11:57
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I recommend this keymap software for Mac OSX: http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ I used doublecommand before, feel this is better.

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  • 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
    Mar 27, 2017 at 0:31
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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

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