[comp.unix.ultrix] Missing Meta Key on Ultrix 4.1

rudoff@MDI.COM (Doug Rudoff) (06/25/91)

I have a version of GNU emacs 18.55 that has been running fine on our
Ultrix 3.1 machines. We now have some machines running 4.1 and while
logged into the 4.1 machines emacs no longer realizes that the meta
key on the terminal has been pressed.  Any meta-command must be
entered with an escape.

(I almost always access the DECs through a Sun, and on the Sun's
keyboard the "diamond" key is the meta key; I do this because I have a
Sun on my desk and DEC's standard keyboard layout is the worst I've
ever seen on a workstation)

While in the normal shell the meta key works (at least while in tcsh).

I thought the problem might be fixed in a more recent version of emacs
so I compiled version 18.57.28 on an Ultrix 4.1 machine, and the
problem remains.

Any help would be appreciated.
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Doug RUDOFF    Motorola Mobile Data    Bothell, WA    uunet!mdisea!rudoff
(206) 487-5937                                             rudoff@mdi.com
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rudoff@MDI.COM (Doug Rudoff) (06/25/91)

>I have a version of GNU emacs 18.55 that has been running fine on our
>Ultrix 3.1 machines. We now have some machines running 4.1 and while
>logged into the 4.1 machines emacs no longer realizes that the meta
>key on the terminal has been pressed.  Any meta-command must be
>entered with an escape.

A number of people have mentioned that I should try using xev(1) to
see what the meta key is generating (I know it's working in tcsh, just
not in emacs), or using xmodmap to redefine the meta key definition.

I don't have either of those programs on my machine.

The machine I'm using doesn't even run X-windows and doesn't have a
graphics console. It's accessed through a plain terminal or through a
remote login from a Sun workstation (which is where I have the meta
key problem). On the Sun I'm running SunView.

Within emacs, meta-flag is set to t, so that shouldn't be my problem.

It looks like I might have to dig through the emacs source code to
figure this one out.
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Doug RUDOFF    Motorola Mobile Data    Bothell, WA    uunet!mdisea!rudoff
(206) 487-5937                                             rudoff@mdi.com
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rudoff@MDI.COM (Doug Rudoff) (06/26/91)

I just debugged my new version of emacs on my 4.1 machine and the
problem is at a very low level: in the actual read() to stdin.

Why would read() strip the high order bit of an input character?

I know the machine can take input with the high order bit set (through
the meta key) because this simple program does the right thing:

#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
  int c;
  while (1)
    {
      printf("?");
      c = getchar();
      printf("%d\n\n", c);
    }
}

(e.g. entering a Meta-v prints out "246")

Any ideas?

Thanks.
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Doug RUDOFF    Motorola Mobile Data    Bothell, WA    uunet!mdisea!rudoff
(206) 487-5937                                             rudoff@mdi.com
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umbaugh@cse.arl.utexas.edu (David Umbaugh) (06/27/91)

>>>>> On 24 Jun 91 21:49:17 GMT, rudoff@MDI.COM (Doug Rudoff) said:
Doug> Originator: rudoff@bb03c


Doug> I have a version of GNU emacs 18.55 that has been running fine on our
Doug> Ultrix 3.1 machines. We now have some machines running 4.1 and while
Doug> logged into the 4.1 machines emacs no longer realizes that the meta
Doug> key on the terminal has been pressed.  Any meta-command must be
Doug> entered with an escape.
I experienced the same problem when we changed from Ultirix 3.1 to 4.1
some time ago.  I have SU-Mac/IP set to use the option key on my
Macintosh extended keyboard (please no look and feel flames) as a Meta
key.  It worked with gnu emacs before the OS change, but not after.
At the time I asked our Sysadmin about it and got no answer.  I can
not help, but can confirm that someone else has seen the same problem.

Doug> Any help would be appreciated.
Me too.
Doug> -- 
Doug> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Doug> Doug RUDOFF    Motorola Mobile Data    Bothell, WA    uunet!mdisea!rudoff
Doug> (206) 487-5937                                             rudoff@mdi.com
Doug> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
--
L. David (Dave) Umbaugh             <umbaugh@evax.uta.edu>  
Computer Science Engineering       
University of Texas at Arlington    <B652LDU@UTARLG>  BITNET
PO Box 19015 Arlington, TX 76012   
(817) 273-3628                     417 N. Cooper Street, Room 300