Re: Apt UI design
--On Tue, Oct 27, 1998 8:29 pm -0800 "Joseph Carter" <knghtbrd@debian.org>
wrote:
>> I've just added this piece of text to the design, which solves our
>> problems I think:
>>
>> Since not all terminals have an Alt key there are two alternatives:
when
>> using X we will use Meta1 and for other systems we use escape as a
prefix.
>
> Escape as a prefix is the standard, that's what Alt-key SENDS!
Nope.
Escape as a prefix is standard yes. However, the Alt-key does no such
thing. In fact, what each modifier precisely does is a function of
keyboard, keyboard driver, kernel and environment (by which I mean, for
example console mode or X mode).
The META key, as a standard, sets the high bit of each byte. It is common
for ESC-<x> to be caught, and then interpreted as M-<x>. Linux PCs, because
they don't have meta keys, and because the Alt-key was generally pretty
underused in un*x system, decided to map Alt to Meta, so that the Alt key is
in fact a Meta key, which is generally the same as a prefix escape.
Of course, given that PC keyboards now have more keys, it might make more
sense for Alt to send ALT, and use the Windows key for META. But that would
confuse people lots :-)
Jules
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| Jules aka | jules@debian.org | Richmond, Surrey |
| Julian Bean | jmlb2@hermes.cam.ac.uk | TW9 2TF *UK* |
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