10.7: Remap Dashboard to LaunchPad on an older Macbook.

Sep 29, '11 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: channui

I wanted to see if I could remap my dashboard key to LaunchPad on my pre-Lion MacBook. Here's a fairly easy way to do it.

Install KeyRemap4MacBook (it's free) on your computer. In System Preferences open the KeyRemap4MacBook pane and select Misc & Uninstall.

Select Open private.xml and then edit the revealed file to contain the following text:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
    <item>
      <name>Map Expose All to F18</name>
      <identifier>private.expose_all_to_f18</identifier>
      <autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::EXPOSE_ALL, KeyCode::F18</autogen>
    </item>
    <item>
      <name>Map Dashboard to F19</name>
      <identifier>private.dashboard_to_f19</identifier>
      <autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::DASHBOARD, KeyCode::F19</autogen>
    </item>
</root>
After saving the file return to the Change Key tab of the KeyRemap4MacBook pane and click ReloadXML. You should now have options to map your Exposé and Dashboard keys to F18 and F19. Enable the option to remap the Dashboard key.

Go to the Keyboard Shortcuts tab of the System Preferences Keyboard pane, select LaunchPad & Dock, double click the Show LaunchPad entry and then press the Dashboard key to assign it. When you are done Show Launchpad should be assigned to F19.

I've remapped the original Dashboard functionality to Command+F19 just in case I ever want to use it. The Exposé remapping is there in case you would like to change it's behavior as well.

[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]

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