Bug#2085: /usr/lib/termcap/l/linux kbs Capname definition questioned

[Bill Mitchell <mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com>]

PACKAGE: ncurses3.0
VERSION: 1.9.8a-3

I noted some problems in the ae.rc file in the ae-493-9.deb
package I just uploaded after rebuilding it and several other
packages for ncurses3.0 compatability.  In checking into this,
I came across an apparent problem with /usr/lib/terminfo/l/linux.

In /usr/lib/kbd/keytables/us.map, I see the following:

    keycode  14 = Delete           Delete
	control	keycode  14 = BackSpace
	alt	keycode  14 = Meta_Delete
and:
    keycode  83 = KP_Period
	altgr	control	keycode  83 = Boot
	control	alt	keycode  83 = Boot
and:
    keycode 111 = Remove
	altgr	control	keycode 111 = Boot
	control	alt	keycode 111 = Boot
and:
    string Remove = "\033[3~"

Keycode 14 is produced by the key I'd call "backspace".
Keycode 83 is produced by the Keypad Period (also DEL) key.
Keycode 111 is produced by the Delete key.

I have no problem with the Keycode 83 and 111 keys, but I do
have a problem with the Keycode 14 key.

On initial login with no special stty setup done, "stty -a"
reports that the special char for erase is set to ^?.  That
works OK, and is compatable with the above.  Pressing the
"backspace" key deletes one char to the left.

However, "infocmp linux" reports that kbs=^H.  Considering the
Keycode 14 assignments, it's necessary to press either Control-H
or Control-Backspace for a program using terminfo with TERM=linux
to see the kbs Capname code.

It seems reasonable to me that pressing just the backspace key
without the control key should produce the kbs Capname code.
This suggests that either us.map (and, probably *.map) should
be changed or that /usr/lib/terminfo/linux should be changed.
Since the keytable maps impact much more than terminfo, it
looks to me as if /usr/lib/terminfo/linux should be changed
from kbs=^H to kbs=^?.

Or am I missing something which should be obvious to me?

mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell)