If you're used to the extended keyboards on desktop machines, you may be disappointed to find that your new PowerBook G3 Series computer has only a single Command key, and where there should be a second one, is just a useless Enter key. Here's how to make that Enter key into the Command key it should have been from the start.

These steps have been tested by Ryan Schmidt on a US PowerBook G3 Series 233 MHz with 13.3" screen and a US PowerBook G3 Series Bronze keyboard 333 MHz, both running the US version of Mac OS 8.6. This has not been tested on international configurations.

Start by making a copy of the System file and opening it in ResEdit.

Open KCAP resource ID 195. Find offset 1B1 and change it from 34 to 37.

Note: If you're using a Japanese PowerBook G3 Series, you should open KCAP resource ID 197 instead.

Tip: To find the hex offsets, use the menu command!

Open KMAP resource ID 0. Find offset 38 and change it from 34 to 37.

Open the only ROv# resource. Here, it's ID 1917, but this will vary depending on the version of MacOS you're running.

Scroll to the very bottom and select the last row of stars.

Here it's row 50, but again, this will vary by MacOS version.

Create a new item by choosing Insert New Field(s) from the Resource menu. Fill in the information for KMAP ID 0.

Congratulations! That's all!

Save your changes, swap out System files, and restart. Open the Key Caps desk accessory to verify that you now have an extra Command key! And you can always still get the Enter key by pressing fn + Return.

7/7/99 - Dave Chapmon adds these comments to performing the edit on a Japanese localized Powerbook:

I use a PowerBook G3 Series 300 MHz machine purchased here in Japan, where I reside, so it has the JIS keyboard and I run the machine with Mac OS 8.6J, the Japan localized version. Here are the points I noted that were at variance with the page in ResExcellence:

1) The explanation contains the following sentence in its explanatory note regarding which KCAP ID resource to edit:

"Note: If you're using a Japanese PowerBook G3 Series, you should open KCAP resource ID 197 instead."

I found this not to be true. My KCAP resource was the same as was given
for the American English OS 8.6, i.e., 195.

2) Later on at the bottom of the page, it contains the following in closing:

"Save your changes, swap out System files, and restart. Open the Key Caps desk accessory to verify that you now have an extra Command key!"

After making the edit, replacing the System file and rebooting, I confirmed the proper functioning of the key as a command key, but unfortunately Key Caps still showed it as an 'enter' key with the barred arrow (?? -- an arrow pointing left to, and contacting, a vertical bar) icon. This of course represents no hindrance to the use or operation of the key, but merely differed, as near as I could tell, with the information given on the web page.