Musa Keyboards Agent

There are several different ways to enter Musa text into your computer, but they all use the same program, the Musa Keyboards agent. You'll also need to install a Musa font on your computer (from the Font Downloads page).

The agent is available for MacOS: just click the link below to download.

There is a later version available, one which adds an overlay keyboard, but it can't be uploaded to the Apple store because it reads the keyboard. However, if you would like to use it, you can download it here.

The agent is also available for Windows and Linux, in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. If you have a Java Runtime Environment installed, you can save some space by using a Java version. To start the download, click the correct link below. The license for these agents is described here.

Operating System		Linux	Windows
You DON'T have the Java JRE installed	32-bit	Lnx32	All
	64-bit	Lnx64
You have the Java JRE installed		LnxJAR

Once you have downloaded the agent, you will have to install it. The Windows versions use an installer: just click on the exe file. For the other versions:

1. First, create a directory called /MusaKeyboards in the same folder as your other program files.
2. In your download directory, you will find a ZIP file with the version you downloaded. Click on it to open it.
3. Towards the left, you will see a darker blue rectangle with the description of the version you chose. Right-click on it; a checkmark will appear at upper right, and a new menu below.
4. Click on Unzip selected, then Unzip to My PC, and point it to the directory you just created. The files will be unzipped there. Once that's done, you don't need the ZIP file any more.
5. You should navigate to the MusaKeys directory and create a shortcut to the MusaKeyboards.exe file by right-clicking and selecting Create Shortcut from the dropdown menu. Move this shortcut to your desktop or taskbar, so you can easily open the Musa Remote keyboard when you need it.

If you are using the Mac version, there's one more step: you have to give the app permission to function as a keyboard, to send letters to other apps. Usually, the first time you run it after installation, you will see a popup that looks like this:

If you don't see this popup, you will have to allow access manually. Press the Open System Preferences button and select Security & Privacy, then Accessibility, then the Privacy tab. Find Musa Keyboards and make sure the checkbox for access is checked - you may have to unlock the menu first using your admin password. If you don't do this, you will see Musa letters in the keyboard display, but they won't be inserted into the program you're using.

Once the Musa Keyboards agent is installed, run it. Your firewall may also warn you that this new program is accessing the network. It has to, to connect to the phone. The first time you run it, you will see a colorful menu:

The Mac version looks different - it has everything on one screen.

As you can see, there are several different keyboards. Which one is best?

1. The Musa Keys app is an app that runs on your Android or iOS phone, and permits you to enter Musa text into other apps on the phone. it also connects via WiFi to the Musa Keyboards agent, and permits you to enter Musa text into your computer, using the phone as a keyboard. If you hold the phone upright, you get a single Musa keyboard; if you hold it sideways (in Landscape orientation), you get a double keyboard.
2. The Onscreen Keyboard is what it sounds like: a normal Musa keyboard appears in a new window on your screen, and you can use it to type Musa. It also features a small display window for the text you type, which helps if the app doesn't show Musa correctly.
3. The MAX Falcon-20 keyboard is the premium choice: a mechanical keyboard with the Musa shapes. it plugs into a USB port alongside your normal keyboard, and you're good to go!
4. The Overlay Keyboard is a way of typing the Musa shapes on your system keyboard.
5. There's also an Editor on the Musa website where you can type Musa, then cut-and-paste it into another app.
6. Of course, if you only want to enter one or two Musa letters, you can also use the character map from your operating system, or from your app. That doesn't require the Musa keyboards agent.

When any of these keyboards is running, there will be a Musa Keyboards Menu icon in the taskbar. Click it to reopen the menu.