Re: Emacs, X windows, and the alt key

[Brian White <bcwhite@pobox.com>]

> > 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 my potato system, I can use the key marked with a little
> window on it as a Meta key in X Windows, but not the key marked
> as Alt.

That's probably because they've gone to the "correct" names in the X
distribution.  Emacs actually wants "Meta", which has traditionally been
mapped to the Alt key.  However, if you actually look at X, it has
separate definitions for "Alt" and "Meta".  By assigning the Alt key
to the "Alt" code, they are technically correct, but it is a break from
tradition.

Check your global Xmodmap file.  This is what I use and everything works
as it should (or at least, as it used to) and still allows the newer
mechanism.

! /etc/X11/Xmodmap
!
! This is the global Xmodmap file.  It is used by both xdm and xinit.
!
! This is an `xmodmap' input file for PC 104 key (Linux/XFree86; US) keyboards.
! Automatically generated on Thu Mar 19 22:13:54 1998 by bcwhite with
! XKeyCaps 2.42; Copyright (c) 1998 Jamie Zawinski <jwz@netscape.com>.
! http://people.netscape.com/jwz/xkeycaps/
!
keycode 0x73 =  Super_L
keycode 0x40 =  Alt_L   Meta_L
keycode 0x71 =  Alt_R   Meta_R
keycode 0x74 =  Super_R
keycode 0x75 =  Menu


I then set up my .fvwm to use the Windows ("Super") keys for changing
windows, etc.  By the way...  Could we remove "NumLock" fro the modifier
keys?  It's really annoying to have things stop working just because I've
turned on NumLock.  In fact, it would be really nice to have NumLock on
by default.


[...]
#
# Section: Key bindings (1=Alt?, 2=NumLock, 3=?, 4=Window, 5=ScrollLock)
#
Key Prior       A       4       Raise
Key Next        A       4       Lower
Key Tab         A       4       Next [!Iconic CurrentPage Visible] Focus
Key F1          A       4       GotoPage 0 0
Key F2          A       4       GotoPage 1 0
Key F3          A       4       GotoPage 2 0
Key F4          A       4       GotoPage 3 0
Key F5          A       4       GotoPage 0 1
Key F6          A       4       GotoPage 1 1
Key F7          A       4       GotoPage 2 1
Key F8          A       4       GotoPage 3 1
Key F9          A       4       GotoPage 0 2
Key F10         A       4       GotoPage 1 2
Key F11         A       4       GotoPage 2 2
Key F12         A       4       GotoPage 3 2
[...]

                                          Brian
                                  ( bcwhite@pobox.com )

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              Eschew Obfuscation.     (go ahead, look'em both up!)