pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements

iso and ansi keybords mismatched?

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#4295 opened on Oct 22, 2025

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bugenhancementhelp wantedneeds to be addressedquestion

Description

Hi, i have mba m1 with iso keyboard: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1145px-Physical_keyboard_layouts_comparison_ANSI_ISO-1-1024x805-1-660x400@2x.png

However its not working with iso setting in app. I need to select ansi so it correctly assigning keys by default.

Easily tested by input ` (left from Z) and § (left from 1)

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
macOS keyboard layout APIsC++Karabiner Elements codebase
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
Investigate the logic in Karabiner Elements that detects keyboard layout (ISO vs ANSI). Focus on the initialization code where the key mapping is set, likely in files related to device or input handling. Compare the system calls or APIs used to determine the physical keyboard type with the actual behavior when the user selects ISO or ANSI settings. Check if there is a workaround or if the detection relies on the macOS system's reported keyboard type, which may be incorrect for some models.