In order to remap the arrow keys to "do" something useful, you need to 
use xmodmap.  Just read the man pages on the syntax of the xmodmap 
command.  The proper .xmodmaprc file should look something like this:

keycode 81 = Up		! Map the up arrow to Up
keycode 82 = Down	! Map the down arrow to Down



Note that the numbers are probably wrong, you need to compile a copy of 
xev (it's in the standard X distribution, so you can get it from 
ftp.x.org or its mirrors) and use it to determine what keycodes the arrow 
keys are sending out.


As to a fix for the missing "a" key, I haven't heard of one yet, and at 
about the time the "a" key goes, so do the left and right arrow keys.  
Quite annoying, I must say.  Also, for the wrapping mouse problem, I 
don't know of any solution, but if you use fvwm (probably a good idea 
since it gives you much more screen real estate) you can move really 
close to the left edge of the screen and it will turn to an arrow (|<--) 
that will allow you to move to the leftward virtual workspace instead of 
wrapping back to the righthand side of the screen.  Of course if you move 
too fast, it will wrap )-:

I hope this helps a bit...


Later,
Colin
ender@rice.edu