[comp.windows.x] ESC key mapping on X-Term with VT keyboard

randy@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (RANDALL SCHRICKEL ) (04/12/91)

We just got a bunch of (HDS) X-Terminals with the VT (220?) style keyboards.
No ESCape key!!! Control-[ seems to work, but that's not very nice. Can I 
map some other key (like Compose Char) to be the escape? I know I can use
xmodmap to do some things, but xmodmap -pk doesn't even show a Compose
Character key! Even if it did, I don't think I know how to map something
like "control-[" to another key. Thanx for any help.

BTW, haven't DEC-people ever heard of vi?

mouse@lightning.mcrcim.mcgill.EDU (der Mouse) (04/13/91)

> We just got a bunch of (HDS) X-Terminals with the VT (220?) style
> keyboards.  No ESCape key!!!

Are you sure?  On that style of keyboard, ESC is generally up on one of
the function keys, somewhere around F10 or F11 I think.  Check the
output from xmodmap -pk for an Escape keysym.

> Can I map some other key (like Compose Char) to be the escape?

I would certainly hope so.  The server is permitted to refuse attempts
to remap the keyboard, but I would hope that nobody makes keyboards
that stupid any longer....

> I know I can use xmodmap to do some things, but xmodmap -pk doesn't
> even show a Compose Character key!

The keysym is called Multi_key.  Look for that.  If all else fails,
start xev and try typing things at it.

> Even if it did, I don't think I know how to map something like
> "control-[" to another key.

You can't map control-[ to another key, but you can map Escape.  They
are not the same, though programs that turn keystrokes into ASCII (or
superset-of-ASCII) characters will normally generate the same character
for both.

> BTW, haven't DEC-people ever heard of vi?

I wonder.  (I share your (apparent) opinion of that keyboard.)

					der Mouse

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