Hack Your iBook

By John Norton

Hacking your iBook may not sound like such a great idea, but in some cases, it really is! Have you ever wished for a second command key, in place of that rotten enter key? A command key has many more uses, and besides, you can always use enter by pushing fn-return. Fortunately, it's quite easy to hack your System file and that enter key a brand spanking new command key.

Note: This how-to would not have been possible without an article posted at ResExcellence in July '99, which told how to do this same hack to your PowerBook G3 Series. Thanks!

Step 1: Get Ready

To complete this hack, you need a copy of ResEdit (you can download it from Apple). You should never edit your System file while it's running, so first you need to make a copy. Open your System copy in ResEdit, and get ready to get to work.

Step 2: Make A Few Changes

If you're faint of heart, you may want to quit now -- a mistake could mean all your keys are messed up, or worse (of course, that's why you keep a backup).

You must first navigate to the KCAP resource, and double-click it. A long list of resources will appear; you need to open ID 195. Press command-H, or select "Find Offset..." from the "Find" menu. Enter "1B1", and hit return. That will automatically select a portion of the code. Just type "37" (it should currently say "34") and close the window.

Next is the KMAP resource, so go open it. Open ID 0, and find offset "38" (use the "Find Offset..." window again). Just like before, change the "34" to "37". You're done with KMAP, so close the windows.

Now you need to scroll way down and find resource ROv#. This resource is slightly harder to hack. Open ID 1917, and scroll to the bottom. Select the row of stars all the way at the bottom (number 50 for me), and press command-K (Insert New Field). Enter "KMAP" in the Type field, and "0" in the Res ID field. Your final product should look something like the image below. Save the System copy, and quit ResEdit.

Step 3: Bless Your System Folder

To make sure your System Folder is correctly blessed (active with the right system file), you need to do a bunch of file moving. Create a folder somewhere on your hard drive with a name like "System Backup". Drop the original System file into that folder, and keep it forever as a backup.

Next, move the System copy to the desktop and rename it "System". You should have noticed by now that the System Folder lost its icon -- it's now just a regular folder. Drag the new System file back into the System Folder, and voila! You now have a freshly blessed System Folder!

Step 4: Restart

This is the toughest step yet: restart your iBook. :-) While you're waiting for your iBook to start up, dream about all the time you're gonna save from having a command key on both sides!

Step 5: Test Your New Command Key

Go to the Apple Menu, and open up Key Caps. When you press either command key, Key Caps will show both keys depressed (if not, you failed. Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Restore your System backup). Test your new command key further by trying out a bunch of command key combos that use to require two hands, or a really long stretch -- command-I, command-delete, command-P, command-N, etc.

Enjoy, and don't forget; you can still press enter by pushing fn-return.

-John Norton is very very happy that he found that old article on ResExcellence; otherwise, he never would have known the full joys of his iBook. :-)

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