How to Map Alt key globally

How to Map Alt key globally

[Tim Johnson]

The following error message
global-set-key: Key sequence M-a starts with non-prefix key ESC

Is generated when I attempted to execute
(global-set-key (kbd "M-a") 'move-beginning-of-line)

Alt-a is undefined prior to execution

What is proper way to map this keystroke?

thanks
-- 
Tim Johnson
http://www.akwebsoft.com, http://www.tj49.com

Re: How to Map Alt key globally

[Tim Johnson]

* Tim Johnson <tim@akwebsoft.com> [180505 10:47]:
> The following error message
> global-set-key: Key sequence M-a starts with non-prefix key ESC
> 
> Is generated when I attempted to execute
> (global-set-key (kbd "M-a") 'move-beginning-of-line)
> 
> Alt-a is undefined prior to execution
> 
> What is proper way to map this keystroke?
  I forgot to mention:
  With 
  emacs -q
  the mapping works. 
  :) What have I done? And how do I trace It?

-- 
Tim Johnson
http://www.akwebsoft.com, http://www.tj49.com

Re: How to Map Alt key globally

[Yuri Khan]

On Sun, May 6, 2018 at 1:50 AM Tim Johnson <tim@akwebsoft.com> wrote:

> > The following error message
> > global-set-key: Key sequence M-a starts with non-prefix key ESC
> >
> > Is generated when I attempted to execute
> > (global-set-key (kbd "M-a") 'move-beginning-of-line)

>    :) What have I done? And how do I trace It?

It looks like you have bound something to ESC. What does C-h k ESC say?

(Also, are you using a graphical Emacs version, or in terminal?)

Re: How to Map Alt key globally

[Tim Johnson]

* Yuri Khan <yurivkhan@gmail.com> [180505 11:12]:
> On Sun, May 6, 2018 at 1:50 AM Tim Johnson <tim@akwebsoft.com> wrote:
> 
> > > The following error message
> > > global-set-key: Key sequence M-a starts with non-prefix key ESC
> > >
> > > Is generated when I attempted to execute
> > > (global-set-key (kbd "M-a") 'move-beginning-of-line)
> 
> >    :) What have I done? And how do I trace It?
> 
> It looks like you have bound something to ESC. What does C-h k ESC say?
> 
> (Also, are you using a graphical Emacs version, or in terminal?)
  I'm using graphical Emacs 25.3.2 on Ubuntu 16.04
  C-h k ESC waited for another key input. Upon entering the second
  ESC, I get ESC-ESC is undefined. (should have allowed a third ESC
  for keyboard-escape quit).
  
  This suggested to me that prior "twiddling" (rather than a
  previously loaded elisp file) had caused this problem.

  So I reloaded the exisiting emacs configuration, and then compiled
  and reloaded the source and the problem is solved.

  I believe that I must have executed something like
  (global-set-key (kbd "C-[") 'foo) 
  ;; "C-[" translates to ESC on my system

  which I would guarantee would clobber sequences starting with ESC for sure.
  Sorry, :) Never mind!

-- 
Tim Johnson
http://www.akwebsoft.com, http://www.tj49.com