[ On Monday, June 17, 2002 at 15:16:15 (-0500), Andy Isaacson wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: patch for wscons scrolling
>
> Sorry, I was unclear.  Since this thread is annoying me on the list, I
> figure I'll take it to private mail.

Whatever....

> I press the Pg{Up,Dn} "keys" by holding Fn and using the arrow keys.
> The ScrLk key is Fn-NumLk.  Hitting Fn-NumLk is a pain, because I have
> to search for both keys visually (NumLk especially, as it's just one of
> the row of identical keys above BackSpace).

Oh well -- I don't like laptop keyboards much either.  I tend to avoid
them as a result.  I don't have much trouble finding the right key
combinations on the little test laptop I have on my desk though.

However complaining about the difficulties of a console scrolling
mechanism and blaming them on the keyboard seem illogical to me, if not
down right wrong.

> The OpenBSD scrolling mechanism is ever so much more convenient, because
> I can hold down Fn and Shift with my index and ring fingers, and press
> Up and Dn with my middle finger.

Someone with less dexterity will probably find pressing Fn-NumLk and
then pressing some action key (eg <j>, <k>) to be even easier.

> If I were using this on a real 101-key keyboard, I might actually be
> able to handle the FreeBSD method, but the only machine I have FreeBSD
> installed on is my laptop, so I've grown quite a visceral dislike for
> this scrolling method.

I suspect you're treating the FreeBSD implementation to be the limit of
my suggestions (contrary even to my expressly stating otherwise on the
list).  Perhaps you should take my suggestions in context with all the
other suggestions put forth on the list, and in particular to very
carefully consider the impact of programmable action keys.  If the PgUp
and PgDn keys are difficult to use on a given keyboard then programming
a different pair would seem to be the obvious thing to do.

What's most important, to me, about the FreeBSD method is that there's a
mode for scrolling and a mode for normal behaviour.  I don't want to
have to have my fingers on the keyboard while the screen is scrolled
back over old output, and I don't really want to have Xterm's
return-to-bottom on keyboard or output features, and most of all I don't
want any form of scroll-mode to block output from the system.

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

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