bug#6033: 23.1; [Cocoa/GNUStep] Feature Request: right command/option bindings

bug#6033: 23.1; [Cocoa/GNUStep] Feature Request: right command/option bindings

[David Abrahams]

Please write in English if possible, because the Emacs maintainers
usually do not have translators to read other languages for them.

Your bug report will be posted to the bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org mailing list,
and to the gnu.emacs.bug news group.

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

One problem with working on a Mac is its paucity of modifier keys, not
to mention (on a laptop) that the modifiers that do exist are small
and easily confused with one another.  It would be fantastic if I
could assign the seldom-used right-side command and option keys to act
as hyper and super modifiers.

Thanks!

If Emacs crashed, and you have the Emacs process in the gdb debugger,
please include the output from the following gdb commands:
    `bt full' and `xbacktrace'.
If you would like to further debug the crash, please read the file
/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/Resources/etc/DEBUG for instructions.


In GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-apple-darwin9.8.0, NS apple-appkit-949.54)
 of 2009-08-16 on black.local
Windowing system distributor `Apple', version 10.3.1038
configured using `configure  '--with-ns''

Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: nil
  value of $XMODIFIERS: nil
  locale-coding-system: nil
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Apropos

Minor modes in effect:
  shell-dirtrack-mode: t
  diff-auto-refine-mode: t
  show-paren-mode: t
  server-mode: t
  global-auto-revert-mode: t
  delete-selection-mode: t
  tooltip-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  global-auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Recent input:
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n <return> C-s C-g C-g M-! 
g i t SPC l o g SPC * <backspace> n s t e r m . m <return> 
C-x C-n C-n C-n C-p C-e C-, C-, C-, C-, C-n C-n C-n 
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n 
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-p C-p C-p C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n 
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n 
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n 
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-p C-p C-p C-p C-p C-p C-p 
C-p C-p C-p C-p C-p C-, C-, C-, C-, C-s C-w C-w C-p 
C-p C-p C-s v e n t C-g C-n C-n C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s 
C-n C-p C-p C-p C-s e v e n t C-s C-s C-s M-< C-s c 
o m m a n d C-x C-k M-x s u b m <tab> <M-backspace> 
e m a s <backspace> c s - b u <tab> <backspace> C-g 
C-g C-h f e m a c s - b u <tab> g <tab> <tab> C-, <M-backspace> 
<tab> C-k s u b <tab> m <tab> <backspace> <backspace> 
<backspace> <backspace> - b u g - r e <tab> <tab> r 
e p o r t e r <return> C-n C-x C-p C-n C-. C-, <return> 
M-< C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n 
C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-n C-x C-k C-x C-p C-x C-k C-n 
M-x C-g C-g C-h a b u g <return> C-x C-n C-s e m a 
c s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-a C-. C-, C-SPC 
C-. C-. M-w M-x C-y - b u g <return>

Recent messages:
Mark saved where search started
Quit [2 times]
Making completion list... [3 times]
Type C-x 4 C-o RET to restore the other window.
uncompressing reporter.el.gz...done
Mark set
Quit [2 times]
Type C-x 4 C-o RET to restore the other window.  
Mark saved where search started
Mark set


-- 
Dave Abrahams           Meet me at BoostCon: http://www.boostcon.com
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com

bug#6033: 23.1; [Cocoa/GNUStep] Feature Request: right command/option bindings

[Chong Yidong]

David Abrahams <dave@boostpro.com> writes:

> One problem with working on a Mac is its paucity of modifier keys, not
> to mention (on a laptop) that the modifiers that do exist are small
> and easily confused with one another.  It would be fantastic if I
> could assign the seldom-used right-side command and option keys to act
> as hyper and super modifiers.

I think this lies outside the scope of Emacs.  It should be possible to
find a Mac analog of xmodmap, which would do this.

bug#6033: 23.1; [Cocoa/GNUStep] Feature Request: right command/option bindings

[David Abrahams]

At Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:35:51 -0400,
Chong Yidong wrote:
> 
> David Abrahams <dave@boostpro.com> writes:
> 
> > One problem with working on a Mac is its paucity of modifier keys, not
> > to mention (on a laptop) that the modifiers that do exist are small
> > and easily confused with one another.  It would be fantastic if I
> > could assign the seldom-used right-side command and option keys to act
> > as hyper and super modifiers.
> 
> I think this lies outside the scope of Emacs.  It should be possible to
> find a Mac analog of xmodmap, which would do this.

Of course I could be mistaken, but I don't think so.  Emacs explicitly
handles translation of the modifier keys in nsterm.c and I don't see
how anything outside of Emacs could make that handling deal with the
right keys separately from the left.


-- 
Dave Abrahams           Meet me at BoostCon: http://www.boostcon.com
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com

bug#6033: 23.1; [Cocoa/GNUStep] Feature Request: right command/option bindings

[Chong Yidong]

David Abrahams <dave@boostpro.com> writes:

> Of course I could be mistaken, but I don't think so.  Emacs explicitly
> handles translation of the modifier keys in nsterm.c and I don't see
> how anything outside of Emacs could make that handling deal with the
> right keys separately from the left.

Under GNU/Linux, you can use xmodmap to rebind Control_L and Control_R
separately.  So, for instance, if you do

  ~ $ xmodmap -e "remove control = Control_R"
  ~ $ xmodmap -e "add mod4 = Control_R"

then pressing Control-a with the right control key will emit Super-a.
I'm sure there is some equivalent functionality on Mac OS X.

bug#6033: 23.1; [Cocoa/GNUStep] Feature Request: right command/option bindings

[David Abrahams]

At Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:02:02 -0400,
Chong Yidong wrote:
> 
> David Abrahams <dave@boostpro.com> writes:
> 
> > Of course I could be mistaken, but I don't think so.  Emacs explicitly
> > handles translation of the modifier keys in nsterm.c and I don't see
> > how anything outside of Emacs could make that handling deal with the
> > right keys separately from the left.
> 
> Under GNU/Linux, you can use xmodmap to rebind Control_L and Control_R
> separately.  So, for instance, if you do
> 
>   ~ $ xmodmap -e "remove control = Control_R"
>   ~ $ xmodmap -e "add mod4 = Control_R"
> 
> then pressing Control-a with the right control key will emit
> Super-a.

I'm very familiar with xmodmap, believe it or not.  I don't live in a
Mac-centric world.

> I'm sure there is some equivalent functionality on Mac OS X.

There is, but you would need to do something in nsterm.c for Emacs to
be able to “hear” those keystrokes.  It explicitly listens for
undistinguished L/R modifier keys and translates them into Emacs'
terms.

-- 
Dave Abrahams           Meet me at BoostCon: http://www.boostcon.com
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com