Subject: Re: An old unix Issue the Delete key how do you fix it
To: None <netbsd-help@netbsd.org>
From: Dieter <netbsd@sopwith.solgatos.com>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 05/05/2007 15:43:38
> > Now... how do we fix programs suffering from this
> > "delete-right" brain damage so that the "Delete" key
> > does the correct "delete-left" function?  I'm thinking
> > mainly of web browsers like links -g and mozilla.
> >
> > (On an X terminal talking via Ethernet, presumably no
> > wscons involved.)
> 
> F that's really what you want, probably then remap the Delete key to
> Backspace.

But then pressing "Delete" in emacs would bring up help.

> The key point is that in the old days there was a delete key
> that sent ASCII DEL.

Exactly.

> But if you're on a PC, then in firefox etc. the backspace key will
> delete left, and you can ignore the Delete key, and that's pretty much
> the right thing even though the keys are mislabled.

Broken broken broken

In theory, we should have:
  "backspace" -> move cursor one position to the left.  Do not draw anything.  Do not erase/delete.
  "delete" -> move cursor one position to the left, deleting (erasing) whatever was there.

I can usually live with the backspace key acting like delete, since the
leftarrow key usually provides the backspace function.

> If that's not enough help, then please explain what kind of keyboard you
> are using, what platform, what kind of xmodmap you have to start with,
> and what key you are pushing and what it does that you don't like.

NCD X terminal with "101" keyboard, talking via Ethernet.

"Backspace" key sends BS, the same as ^H  (that's fine)
"Delete" key sends DEL (duh).  Works correctly in emacs.
(Actually FreeBSD's emacs port is broken, but this is a NetBSD list
so we'll ignore that here.)

But in a web browser, like links -g, the "Delete" key erases to
the right instead of to the left.  This is EVIL and needs to be fixed.

Hmmmm awhile back I had to add
	XTerm.vt100.deleteIsDEL: true
to
	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XTerm
after someone broke xterm.  :-(

Is there some global make-DEL-work-correctly flag for everything in X11?