Upgrading from v 2.1.44 breaks dead keys on Mac

Anki Help
1

After upgrading today from 2.1.44 to .49, I discovered I can no longer use the dead keys opt-1 and opt-2 on my Mac as defined in my keyboard layout GreekKeys for polytonic Greek, which uses these to generate acute and grave accents. Apparently opt-1 and opt-2 now toggle between the search and select boxes in the top left-hand corner of the browser window.

I have downgraded back to 2.1.44 because editing in ancient Greek in the browser without these dead keys is nearly impossible. If this could be fixed in a future version, I would be very grateful. Thank you!

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I’m sorry that I can’t help you on those keys being taken up by shortcuts. (I think option should be treated like shift and should not be used in shortcuts where text is accepted unless used together with command and/or control, because otherwise option, like shift, provides typed letters and other characters, and shortcuts using them cause conflict.)

However, I also type ancient Greek into Anki on a Mac (Koiné Greek in my case). What I use is just the standard “Greek – Polytonic” keyboard layout that comes as a built-in option to macOS, and it does include all of the diacritical marks: acute, grave, circumflex, rough and smooth breathing, and iota subscript, as well as the various combinations thereof. I suggest you consider giving that layout a try. It is a bummer to have to get used to a new layout, but the advantage is that it is a standard keyboard layout available on all Macs and even iOS without installing anything special. That even includes iPad: sometimes I type out Greek exercises—accents and all—on my iPad, and it works just the same.

If you do decide to give that layout a try, you might be interested to know of the virtual keyboard that is a part of the standard Mac install: it is useful to help you learn the new layout when you are first finding your way around. To use it, first, be sure that you have the keyboard layout menu added to the menu bar at the top right (near the clock). To do so, go to the macOS Keyboard Preferences and check “Show Input menu in menu bar.” Then from that menu that is now available, choose “Show Keyboard Viewer,” which will show you what keys do what in that input layout, including with shift and option.

Maybe you already knew about that, but if not, it is a little hint you might find helpful.

Sorry about the messed-up option keys.

2 Likes
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If changing keyboard layout is not an option, the default shortcuts could probably be changed fairly easily in an add-on as well.

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Thank you both so much for taking the time to reply.

Damien, I was able to change the default shortcuts with the very useful Customize Keyboard Shortcuts add-on, and my dead keys are back in 2.1.49. :smile: