Turn off Xterm key functions?
in [Linux Help]
|
Prev: MySQL Replication and Synchronization
Next: Linux Software Raid 5, with LVM. heavy performances degradation
From: Mike Jones on 3 May 2010 06:53 I've been using RXVT with no problems, but now want to use Xterm. I have a problem though. Xterm captures keystrokes I need to run other things. Alt+a_qwerty_key prints embelished (non-English) characters to the open Xterm, and blocks my window manager fast_key functions. I've given myself eyestrain trying to find out the info I'd need to alter this, so, does anybody know how to turn off Xterm's "super_keys" and make it "polite" like RXVT? -- *=( http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/ *=( For all your UK news needs.
From: Whirled.Peas on 5 May 2010 06:29 On Mon, 03 May 2010 10:53:23 +0000, Mike Jones wrote: > I've been using RXVT with no problems, but now want to use Xterm. I have > a problem though. Xterm captures keystrokes I need to run other things. > > Alt+a_qwerty_key prints embelished (non-English) characters to the open > Xterm, and blocks my window manager fast_key functions. > > I've given myself eyestrain trying to find out the info I'd need to > alter this, so, does anybody know how to turn off Xterm's "super_keys" > and make it "polite" like RXVT? Quite likely, this answer is going to prove to be of little help. I did a bit of digging around the XTerm man page and then went searching for a bit. (Perhaps) relevant bits from man page: ###BEGIN MAN PAGE QUOTE### eightBitInput (class EightBitInput) If ''true'', Meta characters (a single-byte character combined with the keys modifier key) input from the keyboard are presented as a single character with the eighth bit turned on. The terminal is put into 8-bit mode. If ''false'', Meta characters are converted into a two-character sequence with the character itself preceded by ESC. On startup, xterm tries to put the terminal into 7-bit mode. The metaSendsEscape resource may override this. The default is ''true.'' Generally keyboards do not have a key labeled "Meta", but "Alt" keys are common, and they are conventionally used for "Meta". If they were synonymous, it would have been reasonable to name this resource "altSendsEscape", reversing its sense. For more background on this, see the meta function in curses. Note that the Alt key is not necessarily the same as the Meta modifier. xmodmap lists your key modifiers. X defines modifiers for shift, (caps) lock and control, as well as 5 additional modifiers which are generally used to configure key modifiers. xterm inspects the same information to find the modifier associated with either Meta key (left or right), and uses that key as the Meta modifier. It also looks for the NumLock key, to recognize the modifier which is associated with that. If your xmodmap configuration uses the same keycodes for Alt- and Meta-keys, xterm will only see the Alt-key definitions, since those are tested before Meta-keys. NumLock is tested first. It is important to keep these keys distinct; otherwise some of xterm's functionality is not available. metaSendsEscape (class MetaSendsEscape) If ''true'', Meta characters (a character combined with the Meta modifier key) are converted into a two-character sequence with the character itself preceded by ESC. This applies as well to function key control sequences, unless xterm sees that Meta is used in your key translations. If ''false'', Meta characters input from the keyboard are handled according to the eightBitInput resource. The default is ''false.'' ###END MAN PAGE QUOTE### What I found after hunting on the eightbitinput string was this little bit of instruction, though I am not clear as to whether is belongs in your ~./inputrc file (Fedora) or your ~/.Xdefaults (Slackware) XTerm*utf8: 1 XTerm*eightBitInput: false XTerm*eightBitControl: false XTerm*eightBitOutput: true I hope this is helpful and does not simply lead to further eye strain. -- If you try, you can envision peas on earth.
From: Jasen Betts on 5 May 2010 08:10 On 2010-05-05, Whirled.Peas <peas(a)earth.org> wrote: > On Mon, 03 May 2010 10:53:23 +0000, Mike Jones wrote: > What I found after hunting on the eightbitinput string was this little > bit of instruction, though I am not clear as to whether is belongs in > your ~./inputrc file (Fedora) or your ~/.Xdefaults (Slackware) > XTerm*utf8: 1 > XTerm*eightBitInput: false > XTerm*eightBitControl: false > XTerm*eightBitOutput: true > it goes in ~/.Xdefaults see xrdb(1), ~/.inputrc is for configuring readline(3). --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news(a)netfront.net ---
From: Mike Jones on 5 May 2010 11:44
Responding to Whirled.Peas: > On Mon, 03 May 2010 10:53:23 +0000, Mike Jones wrote: > >> I've been using RXVT with no problems, but now want to use Xterm. I >> have a problem though. Xterm captures keystrokes I need to run other >> things. >> >> Alt+a_qwerty_key prints embelished (non-English) characters to the open >> Xterm, and blocks my window manager fast_key functions. >> >> I've given myself eyestrain trying to find out the info I'd need to >> alter this, so, does anybody know how to turn off Xterm's "super_keys" >> and make it "polite" like RXVT? > > Quite likely, this answer is going to prove to be of little help. > > I did a bit of digging around the XTerm man page and then went searching > for a bit. > > (Perhaps) relevant bits from man page: ###BEGIN MAN PAGE QUOTE### > eightBitInput (class EightBitInput) > If ''true'', Meta characters (a single-byte character combined with > the keys modifier key) input from the keyboard are presented as a single > character with the eighth bit turned on. The terminal is put into 8-bit > mode. If ''false'', Meta characters are converted into a two-character > sequence with the character itself preceded by ESC. On startup, xterm > tries to put the terminal into 7-bit mode. The metaSendsEscape resource > may override this. The default is ''true.'' > Generally keyboards do not have a key labeled "Meta", but "Alt" keys > are common, and they are conventionally used for "Meta". If they were > synonymous, it would have been reasonable to name this resource > "altSendsEscape", reversing its sense. For more background on this, see > the meta function in curses. > > Note that the Alt key is not necessarily the same as the Meta > modifier. xmodmap lists your key modifiers. X defines modifiers for > shift, (caps) lock and control, as well as 5 additional modifiers which > are generally used to configure key modifiers. xterm inspects the same > information to find the modifier associated with either Meta key (left > or right), and uses that key as the Meta modifier. It also looks for the > NumLock key, to recognize the modifier which is associated with that. > > If your xmodmap configuration uses the same keycodes for Alt- and > Meta-keys, xterm will only see the Alt-key definitions, since those are > tested before Meta-keys. NumLock is tested first. It is important to > keep these keys distinct; otherwise some of xterm's functionality is not > available. > > metaSendsEscape (class MetaSendsEscape) > If ''true'', Meta characters (a character combined with the Meta > modifier key) are converted into a two-character sequence with the > character itself preceded by ESC. This applies as well to function key > control sequences, unless xterm sees that Meta is used in your key > translations. If ''false'', Meta characters input from the keyboard are > handled according to the eightBitInput resource. The default is > ''false.'' > ###END MAN PAGE QUOTE### > > > What I found after hunting on the eightbitinput string was this little > bit of instruction, though I am not clear as to whether is belongs in > your ~./inputrc file (Fedora) or your ~/.Xdefaults (Slackware) > XTerm*utf8: 1 > XTerm*eightBitInput: false > XTerm*eightBitControl: false > XTerm*eightBitOutput: true > > > I hope this is helpful and does not simply lead to further eye strain. It looks intriguing, and I'm certainly going to play with it. ..Xdefaults, possibly .Xresources, for Slackware. I'll find out soon. ;) Many thanks for this. -- *=( http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/ *=( For all your UK news needs. |