Re: Meta key, Alt key & ESC

[Tim X <timx@spamto.devnul.com>]

Bertram Scharpf <b.scharpf@tesionmail.de> writes:

> Hi,
> 
> sorry, I could not find a documentation about this problem.
> 
> Under Debian/GNU Linux my Emacs Meta key is the one
> between `Control_L' and `Alt_L'. But from SuSE
> Linux I am used `Alt_L' to be the Meta key. Now I don't
> want to change my Debian `.Xmodmap'; rather I want Emacs
> to accept the `Alt_L' in one of the following manners:
> 
> 
> A.
> 
> I examine my keystrokes using the command "C-h k"
> (`descibe-key'). Typing
> 
>     C-h k <Alt>-a
> 
>       yields in                            under
>       ---------                            -----
>       "M-a runs the command ...."          SuSE
>       "A-a is undefined"                   Debian/GNU
> 
> But I get
> 
>     $ xmodmap -pm | grep mod1
>     mod1        Alt_L (0x40)
>     $
> 
> in both cases!
> 
> So there must be a way to tell Emacs which modifier is the
> Meta Key. How do I tell?
> 
> 
> B.
> 
> My `/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XTerm' contains
> something like
> 
> --------------------------------------
> XTerm*VT100.Translations: #override \
>    Alt<KeyPress>Shift_L,Alt<KeyPress>: string(0x01B) insert() \n\
>    Alt<KeyPress>Shift_R,Alt<KeyPress>: string(0x01B) insert() \n\
>    Alt Ctrl <KeyPress>: string(0x01B) insert() \n\
>    Alt      <KeyPress>: string(0x01B) insert()
> --------------------------------------
> 
> (I didn't find a documentation about that either.)
> 
> Running Emacs in an XTerm as "emacs -nw" I get the following
> results:
> 
>     Typing                           yields in
>     C-h k <Meta>-a                   "M-a runs the command ...."
>     C-h k ESC a                      "ESC a runs the command ...."
>     C-h k <Alt>-a                    "ESC a runs the command ...."
> 
> but in the X-windowed Emacs still:
> 
>     C-h k <Alt>-a                    "A-a is undefined"
> 
> Is there a way letting Emacs take an <Alt> as an ESC-prefix
> as XTerm does?
> 
> Thank you very much in advance for your answers.
> 
I had the same problem with my Debian system, when I upgraded from
potato to testing (pre-release woody), but decided to just get use to
it. I was just about accustomed to it when I did a dist upgrade to the
new testing when woody was released and the old behavior is now back.

Personally, I'd just use xmodmap and I suspect it is the default
xmodmap debian is using which is causing the differences anyway. There
is some info on this in the emacs PROBLEMS or NEWS file (sorry, can't
remember which).

Tim

-- 
Tim Cross
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