Dvorak Type II for macOS

Here you can find a keyboard layout that lets you type Dvorak Type II on macOS. It is based on the Linux layout; the differences are listed below. Installing it for your own user needs no administrator rights.

The layout is a .keylayout file that you can view and edit with Ukelele.

Installation

1. Download the ZIP file and double-click it in the Finder to extract Dvorak Type II.bundle.
2. In the Finder, open ~/Library/Keyboard Layouts with Go → Go to Folder … (⇧⌘G) and drag the bundle into it. For all users, use /Library/Keyboard Layouts instead; macOS then asks for an administrator password.
3. Log out and back in.
4. System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Input Sources "Edit …" → + → German → "Dvorak Type II" → Add.

The single keylayout file goes into the same folder and is then usually listed under "Others". Newer macOS versions reportedly no longer pick up single files reliably, so the bundle is the first choice.

If the layout does not show up in the list, the quarantine flag macOS puts on downloaded files may be the cause. In the Terminal, remove it from the installed bundle
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine ~/Library/Keyboard\ Layouts/Dvorak\ Type\ II.bundle
or from the installed single file
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/Library/Keyboard\ Layouts/Dvorak\ Type\ II.keylayout
and log out and in again. If you installed it for all users, use /Library instead of ~/Library and prefix the command with sudo.

Switching: use the input menu in the menu bar (turn it on in the keyboard settings), ⌃+Space, or the Globe key fn when it is set to "Change Input Source" in the keyboard settings.

Uninstall: select "Dvorak Type II" in the input sources and remove it with –, then delete the installed Dvorak Type II.bundle or Dvorak Type II.keylayout from ~/Library/Keyboard Layouts (from /Library/Keyboard Layouts if you installed it for all users) and log out and back in.

Differences from Linux

• ⌥ Option (left and right) takes the role of AltGr. Where Linux has an AltGr character, Option types the same character, including the dead keys ´ (⌥+/) and ` (⌥+<).
• Option levels that are empty on Linux keep the usual Mac characters, e.g. ∂ ƒ ∑ √ ∫ Ω; Shift+⌥+k types the Apple logo.
• An additional dead key ^ on ⌥+u for â ê î ô û.
• Keyboard shortcuts with ⌘ (⌘C, ⌘V, …) use the Dvorak letters, ⌥+⌘ types the Option characters without dead keys.
• With Caps Lock and Shift, letters stay uppercase, as usual on macOS (Linux types lowercase then).

Known limitations

• The layout assumes a German (ISO) Mac keyboard. On US keyboards the top-left key types ä; ^ is ⌥+u followed by Space there, ° is Shift+⌥+8.
• Terminal apps only pass Option characters through when "Use Option as Meta key" is turned off.
• There is no custom menu bar icon.