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Archived Messages for NCD_USERS_1997@cebaf.gov: Backspace Key on X and Dtterms etc.

Backspace Key on X and Dtterms etc.

Dave Buckle (buckle@CEBAF.GOV)
Wed, 12 Nov 1997 16:24:30 -0500 (EST)

COMPLAINT: X-Term Baqckspace key does not work correctly in X-windows
and dtterm on AIX (and sometimes on other platforms)
Usually the Delete key will delete to the right in X-windows when this
is a problem. In Aix it generates a tilde instead of doing anything
usefull (control-H , which is ascii-backspace) will usually work.

This Problem has common roots and the solution given here solves it most
of the time, but not without a price.


SOLUTION:
Thanks for this solution goes to John W. Price! It's the best I have seen
for the problem.

The dtterm on aix will work if the keyboard is remapped to
accept the delete key <-x| to be the expected delete operation
This FIX is universal and immediate and will cause all DEC
windows and ingres applications to FAIL on HP machines (and others).

I have defined two aliases in my .login script to let me
switch between modes. (I am running csh or tcsh)

alias xkbs 'xmodmap -e "keycode 102 = BackSpace"'
alias xkdel 'xmodmap -e "keycode 102 = Delete"'

Use xkbs to make aix dtterm work (and many of the x pop up windows)
use xkdel to make ingres and DEC applications work.

You must issue the commands in a terminal window that has access to your
X-windows window manager.
If the xhost command works in this window then these aliased commands should
work also.

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David Buckle WWW: http://www.jlab.org/~buckle/
Computer Center E-Mail: buckle@jlab.org
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
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