[2383] in SIPB_Linux_Development
Re: BackSpace <-> Delete
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Salvatore Valente)
Tue Jan 12 21:56:31 1999
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 21:56:53 -0500
To: Kev <klmitch@MIT.EDU>
Cc: linux-dev@MIT.EDU
From: Salvatore Valente <svalente@MIT.EDU>
Kevin wrote:
I think it would be worthwhile to fix this at the app-defaults level;
discussion?
I assume that the overall goal as follows: The key in the top right
corner of the keyboard (often but not always labeled the "Backspace"
key) should perform the "erase the previous character" function in all
applications, especially xterm. Is that right?
I like that goal and I think that modiying xterm's app-defaults file
is probably the way to achieve it. For the record, here are the
stupid little details, as I understand them:
1. With XFree86, by default, the top-right key (backspace key) sends
the "BackSpace" keysym. I've used some systems where Motif apps
recognized BackSpace as the erase keysym, and some where they
recognized Delete as the erase keysym. On RedHat 5.2, it appears
that Netscape uses BackSpace as the erase keysym, so we probably
shouldn't rebind the key to the Delete keysym.
2. xterm should interpret the BackSpace keysym as "send ^? to the
shell". This is not currently the default; we can change it by
adding "*BackarrowKey: false" to
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XTerm.
3. The shell should interpret ^? as "erase the previous character".
This is the default. If it was not, we could fix it by adding
"stty erase '^?'" to /usr/athena/lib/init/cshrc.
I guess I could give the xlogin package a triggerin on XFree86 that
does something like:
xtermad=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XTerm
/bin/grep -i -q backarrowKey ${xtermad} ||
echo '*BackarrowKey: false' >> ${xtermad}
Objections?
Have a nice day,
Sal.
