Can anyone let me know how to allocate specific function to the function keys on my new Apple Mac wireless keyboard?I am running OS 10.5.8.

I use Butler's "Keystrokes" functionality, but there are any number of alternatives; this MacUpdate search results page lists some.

(You may have to check a "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys..." box in the /Applications/System Preferences > Keyboard pane.)

I am currently using MaxMenus, and it works as advertised, though it does seem to be getting a bit long in the tooth. (A bit like moi I hasten to add.)

Shortcuts looks interesting, but I have yet to give it a go. 'Tis competitively priced (sorta) and a 15 day free trial may prompt me to action...

Many thanks for your response to my query on how to set up the function keys on my new keyboard. I have downloaded Butler and am trying to work out how best to use it. On my previous keyboard, I had a key that brought up the shutdown/restart dialogue and am trying to simulate that. Which is the best way to do this with Butler? I suppose I need to be able to bring up the option from Finder System services menu which contains the option of restart and shutdown. Can you advise please?

I hope you like Butler; it's been the heart of my Mac experience for many years. (I hope you realized that the $20 shareware fee is optional for the moment [and, I suspect, for a while].)

Hit the + at the lower left of Butler's configuration pane, then navigate to Smart Item > System where you'll see an assortment of options, each of which can be triggered by its own hot key.

If Butler can bring up the Restart/Sleep/Shut Down dialog box, I've got no idea how the functionality works (Hmmm... Have you tried hitting function-control-eject, which brings up the dialog box on my Snow Leopard MacBook [but not on all Macs]?), but you can e-mail Rob at Many Tricks; he's both agreeable and helpful.

Edit: By the way... The Many Tricks Web site is well stocked with tutorials...an excellent resource.

On my wired Apple aluminum keyboard with a G4 mini running 10.5.8, it's simply Control-Eject. In System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Keyboard, the Use all F1, F2 etc. keys as standard function keys checkbox is unchecked.

The newest version of the wired keyboard isn't fully supported by the older OS; the keyboard Volume controls, for instance, don't work even though they worked just fine on an earlier, visually identical version of the same aluminum keyboard. The Eject key, for that matter, doesn't work as an Eject key, but it does work in combination with Control to invoke the Shut Down/Restart dialog.

But Robert's original post asked for help with his "new Apple Mac wireless keyboard."

Again thanks for your reply. I have now tried the control/eject combination and find that it brings up the restart/shutdown dialogue. I will have at go at using Butler to allocate other functions to my keyboard. Thanks for all your help. Hope I can ask for further assistance if I get stuck!

Yes, I can read. My comparison was between current generation Apple aluminum keyboards being used on G4s running OS X 10.5.8—his and mine. In the interest of accuracy, I noted that mine was wired, but I didn't suspect that would make a difference. As, in fact, it didn't.

> Thanks for all your help. Hope I can ask for further assistance if I get stuck

Any time, and by all means!

I can read too, and in the interest of accuracy, you obscured your intent.

Hi, just wondered how I can turn on my Mac from the keyboard. Is there a key combination to do this or do I have to use the programmers on/off button on the PowerPC cabinet. At the moment I use a schedule on facility from System Preferences.

Macs haven't had a power button on them since the colored imac g3's.

There are a few related alternatives but they have important differences. First is "Lights Out Power Management", sometimes referred to as LAMP. Mac Pros and Xserves have it, you can get basic information from the computer over the network, including turning it on.

Next is WOMP, Wake On Magic Packet. This allows a computer on the same local network to wake a sleeping mac.

Thirdly are various ways to control AC power outlets, things like KickOff (by Bay Networks, sometimes also called a baytek or networked outlets) These are most useful for power cycling a machine remotely if it locks up. Requires "restart after power failure" to be turned on.

The other is scheduled power-on. You can add many more events than system prefs will let you, I have a program here called WakeStick that keeps a series of power-on events loaded up so that in the event of a shutdown due to ups power loss or exhaust, the computer will come back on (hopefully soon) sometime in the near future. I know it holds at least 16 events, but the process of setting and clearing them is somewhat slow. (about one second per set or clear, with no way to "clear all")

LAMP and scheduled power-on are really the only two things that can turn on a mac that is off that has not been abruptly shut down due to power loss. Note that if you "cleanly" shut down a mac and then cycle the power cord on it, even if "wake after power failure" is on, it will NOT turn on.

Most macs have "power pads" on the motherboard that are essentially in parallel with the power switch, which is useful on laptops where the power button rides on the ribbon cable. You could solder up wires to that to an external switch I suppose. Those are used by techs to turn on the computer when the power button isn't attached.

Hi, thanks for your comprehensive answer to my question regarding turning on my Mac. The old keyboard using a USB connection had a power on button which is missing on this new keyboard. Guess I will have to use the power on button on the PowerPC. I will investigate the other options you mention. Again thanks for your interest.

Just because you attach a keyboard that has a power button on it doesn't mean the computer will be willing to use it. Those computers had to have specific support for it, so expecting a computer that didn't ship with such a keyboard to support it would be a stretch.