Programatically get/set Mac OSX default system key

Question

I'm trying to find a way to programatically get/set the default OSX system keyboard shortcuts (hotkeys) found in the System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts tab. I need to be able to do this in the background, so GUI scripting is not a solution.

I'm unable to find a plist or anything where this info might be stored. I tried using Instruments "File Activity" trace while using System Preferences, but again came up empty handed.

Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

Actually there's a Plist for that, informations are stored in com.apple.symbolichotkeys AppleSymbolicHotKeys which is a complex nested dicts and lists as :

$ defaults read com.apple.symbolichotkeys AppleSymbolicHotKeys
{
    10 =     {
        enabled = 1;
        value =         {
            parameters =             (
                65535,
                96,
                8650752
            );
            type = standard;
        };
    };
    11 =     {
        enabled = 1;
        value =         {
            parameters =             (
                65535,
                97,
                8650752
            );
            type = standard;
        };
    };
[...]
}

Let's say you want to programatically modify the "Show Help Menu" shortcut in System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts tab -> App Shortcut -> All Applications. To find the correct entry print all the Plist in a text file, modify the shortcut in the System Preferences, print again the the Plist in a second file and diff them:

$ defaults read com.apple.symbolichotkeys AppleSymbolicHotKeys > 1
$ # modify System Preferences
$ defaults read com.apple.symbolichotkeys AppleSymbolicHotKeys > 2
$ diff -U 5 1 2
--- 1   2019-05-27 23:37:58.000000000 -0300
+++ 2   2019-05-27 23:38:24.000000000 -0300
@@ -5063,13 +5063,13 @@
             };
             98 =             {
                 enabled = 1;
                 value =                 {
                     parameters =                     (
-                        32,
-                        49,
-                        524288
+                        105,
+                        34,
+                        655360
                     );
                     type = standard;
                 };
             };
         };

So the entry to be modified is 98, since it's a complex structure you'll have to use /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy to do it:

# Set "alt + Space" as shortcut for "Help menu"
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:value:parameters" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:value:parameters array" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:value:parameters: integer 32" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:value:parameters: integer 49" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:value:parameters: integer 524288" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:enabled" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :AppleSymbolicHotKeys:98:enabled bool true" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist

Note:

• I had to delete the bool parameter in order to modify it
• Computer must be restarted for the changes to be applied

Answer 2

Ooop, I re-ran Instruments, but made sure to close out System Preferences this time, the shortcuts weren't getting written out until then.

Turns out the file is located at ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist But it's pretty cryptic. None the less, this is what I was after.

Answer 3

There is an API for this (getting, not setting).