What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
Things I did to make it work (in order): 1. Install homebrew. I followed the instructions from the homebrew website ( https://brew.sh ). I pasted the one line of code into the terminal. It did not work at first, since the earlier fix posted in the discussion messed up my /usr/local by adding an entry called lib. So after deleting lib in /usr/local, the command to install homebrew worked! 2. The homebrew installer downloads Command Line Tools for Xcode, a necessary tool. This happens during the installation of homebrew. 3. Now with homebrew installed, I used homebrew to install dfu-programmer (in the command line I used the command: brew install dfu-programmer).
Now with Command Line Tools for Xcode and dfu-programmer (the latter being the more important/necessary of the two for this project as I understand it), the Configurator successfully recognized my M10-A when connected via USB and put in flash mode (by pressing the reset button on the PCB). Furthermore along with showing a “connected” status, I was successfully able to flash a custom layout. Now the Configurator tool is still a little quirky, for example arrow settings in macros become jumbled for all keys if any key is rearranged, but at least with these steps I was able to coax out functionality from the software and get my M10-A working. I acknowledge that this is by no means how this product was advertised and that these steps are far above what should be expected considering what we were promised with this product, but it is my hope that others can use these steps to make their beautiful paperweight into a tool and realize the potential of their M10-A.
I finally got the keypad to work! I’m running macOS Sierra 10.12.4 and was experiencing the problems that I’ve seen posted in this thread about the terminal prompt not working to instal the lib sub.
Here are the steps I took, that may help you. It's not entirely scientific since there was beer and music involved, since this pad has beaten me many times before and I wanted to give it annother shot without much frustration. Items with a * may not be necessary, but I wanted to document the path that I took that had the M10-a working.
* 1) go to https://brew.sh/ and install home-brew by typing /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)" into the terminal.
2) Deleted my lib folder, as some forum user mentioned that it may help with a fresh install of home-brew that I had previously failed.
note: I was unable to install home-brew, so I went digging on the web.
* 3) I installed Xcode from the app store, since Home-brew recommends it.
* 4) I installed Command line by typing xcode-select --install into terminal after Xcode was installed.
* 5) Tried to reinstall home-brew, and ran into permission errors, and fell down a rabbit hole of techno jargon above my head on forms of the internet.
6) Somewhere along the way I found myself in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General.
7) This part is still unclear to me, but upon unlocking the “Allow apps downloaded from” I received a pop up to allow apps from unknown users.
I did this, opened the configurator, pressed the reset button on the pad, and it showed as connected.
I don’t think Home-brew, Xcode, or Command line should help in getting yours to work, but somehow mine became usable.
Helpfull links:
1) The post that got my curiosity: http://brettdewoody.com/rama-machine-industries-massdrop-m10-a-setup/
2) Install Command Line Tools http://osxdaily.com/2014/02/12/install-command-line-tools-mac-os-x/
3) Changing your system preferences - I THINK THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT http://www.cocoabuilder.com/archive/xcode/327545-xcode-fails-to-launch-my-app-permission-denied.html
4) Installing Home-brew https://brew.sh/