> That's what I'm querying.  I hate having to modify standard install
> scripts (/root/.cshrc, /etc/wscons.conf etc) if I don't need to.

Those files are there to be edited, for instance /root/.shrc
contains a 'set -o emacs' which could easily be wrong!

> What is wrong with my thinking that means I have to do this, and
> that it isn't already default in a NetBSD install.

The defaults are what someone decided to put under source control...

> Is NetBSD
> correct in all aspects regarding BS/Del and we x86 users have to
> jump through these hoops because we have both keys, or is NetBSD
> currently incorrectly set up as default.

You my decide it isn't right for you...

> Once I know what is
> "correct" behaviour, I'll be more inclined to fix it locally
> knowing that the underlying implementation is sound and won't
> change beneath me, and won't be quite so annoyed at having a
> non-standard /etc and /root.

The 'correct' behaviour is entirely a personal choice and depends,
to some extent, on the hardware you are using.

Many keyboards generate ^H if you press the 'backspace/erase' key
and ^? for CTRL+backspace.  Some do it the other way around,
some have it as a configuration option.

If 'erase' might generate ^? then you definitely don't want the
PC 'delete' key (the one beneath 'insert') to generate ^? as well.

libedit is, of course, buggy...
For 'vi' mode it sets ^H and ^? to different values (one does
cursor left, the other delete), then sets the stty erase key to do
one of the erase actions (so you lose the one action if you've
picked the wrong stty setting).
This is is addition to the bug that affects erase during 'cw'.

FWIW the traditional default for erase is '#' (or was it '@').
^? has also been used for 'interrupt' (usually ^C).

	David

-- 
David Laight: david@l8s.co.uk