From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Tim X Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: Meta key, Alt key & ESC Date: 06 Jan 2003 13:11:32 +1100 Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: <873co7hvsb.fsf@tiger.rapttech.com.au> References: Reply-To: timx@spamto.devnul.com NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1041818510 10152 80.91.224.249 (6 Jan 2003 02:01:50 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 02:01:50 +0000 (UTC) Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 18VMaL-0002dc-00 for ; Mon, 06 Jan 2003 03:01:49 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10.13) id 18VMZZ-0003bw-03 for gnu-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sun, 05 Jan 2003 21:01:01 -0500 Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 86 User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.2 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp377.nsw.padsl.internode.on.net Original-X-Trace: duster.adelaide.on.net 1041818340 ppp377.nsw.padsl.internode.on.net (6 Jan 2003 12:29:00 +1050) Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!canoe.uoregon.edu!arclight.uoregon.edu!enews.sgi.com!news.xtra.co.nz!news.mel.connect.com.au!news.ade.connect.com.au!duster.adelaide.on.net!not-for-mail Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:108688 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1b5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Archive: List-Unsubscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:5217 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:5217 Bertram Scharpf 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 -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 \ > AltShift_L,Alt: string(0x01B) insert() \n\ > AltShift_R,Alt: string(0x01B) insert() \n\ > Alt Ctrl : string(0x01B) insert() \n\ > Alt : 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 -a "M-a runs the command ...." > C-h k ESC a "ESC a runs the command ...." > C-h k -a "ESC a runs the command ...." > > but in the X-windowed Emacs still: > > C-h k -a "A-a is undefined" > > Is there a way letting Emacs take an 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 The e-mail address on this message is FALSE (obviously!). My real e-mail is to a company in Australia called rapttech and my login is tcross - if you really need to send mail, you should be able to work it out!