`hidutil` stopped working on macOS 14.2

UserKeyMapping with hidutil is no longer working for me after upgrading to 14.2. I'm on a restrict macOS where it's not allowed to install third-party software.

I need to map these keys § <=>`, and ± <=> ~ which swap some special keys from Norwegian keyboard layout to US keyboard layout. Even I did change the layout to US in Keyboard settings but it didn't help for those keys. hidutil was really helpful to map them. Now, it's gone. This impacts my daily work's speed.

UserKeyMapping:(
        {
        HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst = 30064771172;
        HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc = 30064771125;
    },
        {
        HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst = 30064771125;
        HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc = 30064771172;
    }
)

yaroslav280 wrote:

It's mapping from `non_us_backslash` to `grave_accent_and_tilda`

So you want the grave/tilde on the key below ESC instead of down next to Z?

If so, here is a custom layout which may do that.

yaroslav280 wrote:

Thanks, is there any hints how's that config should be installed properly?

You put the .keylayout file in Library/Keyboard Layouts or Home/Library/Keyboard Layouts. Then you go to system settings > keyboard > text input > edit > input sources and use the + button to add it to the list (look in the Others category). Then you select it in the input menu at the top right of the screen.

here is an example of my config. replace <vendor_id_value> and <product_id_value> values which can be found via the system report tool as per Get system information about your Mac. so essentially the only things that changed were adding sudo and changing my id values for my internal kb:

<!-- place in /Library/LaunchDaemons and run sudo launchctl start com.hidutilKeyMapping -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.hidutilKeyMapping</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
      <string>/usr/bin/sudo</string>
      <string>/usr/bin/hidutil</string>
      <string>property</string>
      <string>--matching</string>
      <string>{"VendorID": <vendor_id_value>, "ProductID": <product_id_value>}</string>
      <string>--set</string>
      <string>{
        "UserKeyMapping": [
            {
              "HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc": 0x70000002A,
              "HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst": 0x700000031
            },
            {
              "HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc": 0x700000031,
              "HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst": 0x70000002A
            }
        ]
      }</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
  </dict>
</plist>

Hello, I encounted the same problem, but I solved it successfully using hidutil.

STEPS:

1. remove the usb of keyboard on the mac
2. restart the computer
3. the hidutil does not work right now
4. plug the usb of our keyboard, then the hidutil will write the config to macos immediately in 1 second.

I think that hidutil bonded with certain device(my keyboard), so when I plug usb in, hidutil writed the config to computer. But if I donot plug the usb in(or donot remove the usb when I restart computer), the write event do not happen, looks like that macos do not allow modify the keyboard on macbook, but allow modify the keyboard third-party

Updated to 14.3, the problem no longer persists as long as you have hidutil run as root (e.g. sudo) as per:

• run hidutil w/ sudo

nomanu, make sure you are using the correct ProductID / VendorID...i noticed mine had changed w/ the update.

The issue seems to be backported to Ventura 13.6.3.

I just updated to 14.2.1 (23C71) and the problem persists

Guiwes75 wrote: How can I do this for other keys? I am having a similar issue, as I use a German keyboard (QWERTZ) and used the hidutil command to swap the Z and Y keys:

You can use this to make a custom layout

https://software.sil.org/ukelele/

laertis wrote:

if someone who already has 2 keyboard layouts like me wants to add your layout it needs to be the third keyboard layout which becomes a nuisance (switching between 3+ layouts)

The shortcut control space normally only switches between 2 layouts. Same for Caps Lock if you happen to use that one.

I can confirm that on 14.2.1 hidutil is working for external keyboards but not the internal keyboard of a macbook. I don't know what happened, this is still really frustrating and not a fix in my opinion. Is there any update on this issue?

I remap keys through IOKit HID APIs, and running my application by sudo doesn't work.

Programmatic Key Remapping