[comp.sys.hp] Backspace Key Causes Kill

ray@vantage.UUCP (Ray Liere) (12/28/89)

Occasionally we connect terminals to a UNIX system that are
required to emulate some non-HP terminal, such as a "VT100".

We set TERM to the appropriate value, but when I press the backspace key,
it is as if I had pressed del. In other words, backspace causes "kill"
instead of "erase".

The problem seems to be related to the terminal's keyboard layout -- when we
connect on that has backspace and del keys both in the upper right area, the
2 keys work find. When we connect one with only backspace up there (and del
HP location of lower left area), then we have the problem.

Cntrl-H does work for back spacing, but it is hard to remember to use that. And
I tend to need to use backspace a lot ... :-)

If there is a choice, I would rather have backspace do erase and have to key
in cntrl-U for kill.

Can anyone tell me if the problem:
1) is solvable at all?
2) if so, should I be looking at
   a) changing the TERM's termcap/terminfo entry (ugh...)
   b) issuing some stty command
   c) something else ...

Thanks for your assistance.

Ray Liere
Vantage Consulting and Research Corporation
voice: (503)657-7294
uucp: uunet!nwnexus!vantage!ray
       -or-
      hplabs!hpfcla!hpubvwa!hpupora!vantage!ray
Internet: vantage!ray@nwnexus.WA.COM

rob@hp-ses.SDE.HP.COM (Robert Oyung) (12/30/89)

/ hp-ses:comp.sys.hp / ray@vantage.UUCP (Ray Liere) /  9:13 am  Dec 27, 1989 /

>     We set TERM to the appropriate value, but when I press the backspace key,
>     it is as if I had pressed del. In other words, backspace causes "kill"
>     instead of "erase".

>     Cntrl-H does work for back spacing,
>     I tend to need to use backspace a lot ... :-)

>     If there is a choice, I would rather have backspace do erase and 
>     have to key in cntrl-U for kill.

>     Can anyone tell me if the problem:
>     1) is solvable at all?

yes.

>     2) if so, should I be looking at
>        a) changing the TERM's termcap/terminfo entry (ugh...)

Ugh. is right.  Don't need to do this.

>        b) issuing some stty command

This is the answer.

Type:
       stty -erase 'X'

where X is: <ctrl-v> backspace key 

(i.e. type ctrl-v and then press the backspace key, ctrl-v "escapes" the
      next keystroke and takes it literally)


>     Thanks for your assistance.

Your welcome!

>     Ray Liere
>     Vantage Consulting and Research Corporation

Robert Oyung
Integrated Office Systems
HP Corporate Offices

dale@hpfcmgw.HP.COM (Dale McCluskey) (01/03/90)

Ray Liere (ray@vantage.UUCP) writes:
> Occasionally we connect terminals to a UNIX system that are
> required to emulate some non-HP terminal, such as a "VT100".

> We set TERM to the appropriate value, but when I press the backspace key,
> it is as if I had pressed del. In other words, backspace causes "kill"
> instead of "erase".

The stty(1) command will fix this nicely.  Assuming that you use ksh(1), 
try 
	$ stty erase ^? kill ^u

or something similar.  The command above sets up DEL as the erase character
and ^u as the kill character.  Other shells may require you to quote this 
sort of thing.

								Dale


Disclaimer: I speak for myself, not Hewlett-Packard.