Emacs, X windows, and the alt key
On my slink system, I can use the alt key as an emacs "meta" key under
X windows. However, this does not work on my potato system. I would
like to find out whether this is a configuration mistake or a bug in
potato.
On the slink system, xev reports the following for "alt v":
KeyPress event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x3000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 3855499358, (88,91), root:(971,114),
state 0x0, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 characters: ""
KeyPress event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x3000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 3855500075, (88,91), root:(971,114),
state 0x8, keycode 55 (keysym 0x76, v), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 1 characters: "v"
KeyRelease event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x3000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 3855500173, (88,91), root:(971,114),
state 0x8, keycode 55 (keysym 0x76, v), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 1 characters: "v"
KeyRelease event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x3000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 3855500541, (88,91), root:(971,114),
state 0x8, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 characters: ""
The slink system has emacs 20.3.2 installed. Alt keys work the same
way under X windows and in a virtual console: alt-v does page-up,
alt-q fills a paragraph, alt-x starts a long command, etc. The
"view-lossage" function reports alt-v as "M-v":
right right right C-h N right right right right M-n
C-v C-v C-v M-v escape x v i e w - l o s s a g e r
eturn
On the potato system, xev reports the following for "alt v":
KeyPress event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x1000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 357200652, (7,138), root:(847,378),
state 0x0, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 characters: ""
KeyPress event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x1000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 357201309, (7,138), root:(847,378),
state 0x8, keycode 55 (keysym 0x76, v), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 1 characters: "v"
KeyRelease event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x1000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 357201409, (7,138), root:(847,378),
state 0x8, keycode 55 (keysym 0x76, v), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 1 characters: "v"
KeyRelease event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x1000001,
root 0x2a, subw 0x0, time 357201768, (7,138), root:(847,378),
state 0x8, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 characters: ""
The potato system has 20.5.2 installed. Escape v, escape q, etc. work
the same way under X windows and in a virtual console. Alt keys work
fine in a virtual console, but under X windows, alt-v or any other
alt-key just yields a beep. "view-lossage" reports alt-v as "A-v":
x e v SPC r e p o r t : return down-mouse-2 mouse-2
A-v right right left left A-x escape x v i e w - l
o tab return
I tried "emacs -q" to bypass reading my .emacs, but that made no
difference.
I would appreciate any suggestions.
- Jim Van Zandt
p.s. Please reply directly as well as to debian-devel.
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