sabyrzhan / karabiner-fn-language-switcher

🇰🇿↔️🇺🇸 Enable Macbook M1 `fn` key language switching functionality in old Macs with Karabiner

Language switcher with fn key for Karabiner in non-M1 Macs

Introduction

Old non-M1 Macs dont support switching language with double fn press. But it can be achieved using complex combinations in Karabiner-elements project. However I was not able to achieve this by only using Karabiner complex rules and variables, because it can only toggle to specified language but not between multiple. To achive it I just created a CLI application which is called by Karabiner.

This repository contains:

• Simple MacOS CLI project that toggles languages (currently hardcoded to toggle between KK <-> ABC)
• Karabiner complex modification rule (file `double_fn_switch_langage.json)

Installation

1. Clone this repo and open project in XCode
2. Modify file main.swift by adding your own language preferences
3. Build the project:
   • in XCode: archive the project and copy generated LanguageSwitcher somewhere
   • in CLI: run xcodebuild build and copy generated build/Release/LanguageSwitcher somewhere
4. Specify full path to LanguageSwitcher to shell_command in double_fn_switch_language.json file
5. Copy double_fn_switch_language.json to ~/.config/karabiner/assets/complex_modifications
6. Enable rule in Karabiner-elements -> Preferences -> Complex modifications -> Add rule -> Execute LanguageSwitcher in shell
7. Enjoy!

Tested

1. Project created and compiled on:
   • MacOS BigSur 11.6.2
   • XCode 13.1
2. Karabiner-elements 14.3.0

Used resources

• https://github.com/hatashiro/kawa
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/22885767/how-to-programmatically-switch-an-input-method-on-os-x
• https://newbedev.com/change-osx-keyboard-layout-input-source-programmatically-via-terminal-or-applescript
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6074757/change-input-source-language-programmatically-osx
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34120142/swift-cfarray-get-values-as-utf-strings
• https://github.com/creasty/Keyboard/blob/master/keyboard/Extensions/TISInputSource.swift
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40821120/detect-current-input-language#comment69014698_40821120
• https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/docs/json/complex-modifications-manipulator-definition/to/shell-command/

(c) 2021