klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) (08/26/89)
Well, here is another bit of strangeness with our DECStation 3100
workstations. We are running using Xterm and uws rather than DECterm
and dxwm (under UWS 2.0) so that we can provide a consistant interface
between the DS3100 and the VS2000. On the DS3100, it you press the
META key and the left mouse button in a window, that window iconifies.
No big deal. However, the "Compose Key" light on the keyboard comes
on. It will stay on, until you open the iconified window, and attempt
to type in it. At that time, it will eat from 1 to 3 characters and
then the keyboard will feep at you as the light goes out. It is also
odd that this happens only if the "Compose Key" light is out. Once it
is lit, all META key actions, in any other windows have no unusual
effects, until you deiconify the window that light the light.
Is this a problem with
- the supplied xterm
- the supplied uwm
- keyboard setups I am not aware of
- firmware
- hardware
and has anyone else noticed the same thing?
I can not tell how dxterm handles this situation, as we are not using it
at the moment.
Kurt Reisler (703) 359-6100
============================================================================
UNISIG Chairman, DECUS US Chapter | Hadron, Inc.
..{uunet|sundc|rlgvax|netxcom|decuac}!hadron!klr | 9990 Lee Highway
Sysop, Fido 109/101 The Bear's Den (703) 671-0598 | Suite 481
Sysop, Fido 109/103 The Pot of Gold (703) 359-6549 | Fairfax, VA 22030
============================================================================chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) (08/26/89)
In article <865@hadron.UUCP> klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) writes: >... We are running using Xterm and uws rather than DECterm .... >On the DS3100, it you press the META key and the left mouse button >in a window, that window iconifies. No big deal. However, the >"Compose Key" light on the keyboard comes on. It will stay on, until >you open the iconified window, and attempt to type in it. At that >time, it will eat from 1 to 3 characters .... The `Compose Character' key is trying simultaneously to be `meta' and `compose', and failing miserably. The cure is to say xmodmap -e 'keycode 177 = Meta_L' (or put the keycode expression in a file, and `xmodmap <file>'). The table I use, which disables caps-lock entirely, puts ESC on the `~ key and `~ on the <X| (delete) key, hides DEL on `Remove', and puts `<' and `>' above `,' and `.' is: clear Lock keysym quoteleft = Escape keysym Delete = quoteleft asciitilde keycode 140 = Delete keycode 177 = Meta_L keysym comma = comma less keysym period = period greater This makes the LK201 almost tolerable. (There is still no backspace key, but I long ago wired my fingers to type control-H; there is still an extra <> key in the way of the left shift key; the now-inoperative Lock key is still too fat; and there is still no reasonable delete key. Others have suggested moving tilde and backquote to that extra key between z and shift, which leaves the envelope key---my name for the large delete key at the top right of the main keyboard [hint: look at it sideways]---free for backspace or delete [but not both].) I would still pay good money for a keyboard that does not make my left pinky ache. -- In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163) Domain: chris@mimsy.umd.edu Path: uunet!mimsy!chris
guido@piring.cwi.nl (Guido van Rossum) (08/28/89)
chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes: [some hints about making the LA201 keyboard tolerable] >I would still pay good money for a keyboard that does not make my >left pinky ache. You disabled the Lock key, but went only halfway. It can become a Control key, by adding this to your xmodmap input: clear Lock add Control = Caps_Lock --Guido -- Guido van Rossum, Centre for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), Amsterdam guido@cwi.nl or mcvax!guido or guido%cwi.nl@uunet.uu.net "You're so *digital*, girl!" -- Neneh Cherry
chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) (08/29/89)
>chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes: >[some hints about making the LK201 keyboard tolerable] >>I would still pay good money for a keyboard that does not make my >>left pinky ache. In article <8360@boring.cwi.nl> guido@piring.cwi.nl (Guido van Rossum) writes: >You disabled the Lock key, but went only halfway. It can become a >Control key .... The control key is not the major cause of `sore finger syndrome'. It is that !#*()% `<>' key between Z and SHIFT. Now, if I could make <> act like SHIFT. . . . The MIT xmodmap manual seems to imply that xmodmap -e 'keycode 201 = Shift_L' xmodmap -e 'add Shift = Shift_L' should work, but it fails silently (the <> key does nothing at all). Changing both Shift_Ls to Shift_Rs causes the following error: [gyre122] xmodmap -e 'keycode 201 = Shift_R' [gyre123] xmodmap -e 'add shift = Shift_R' xmodmap: bad set modifier mapping. -- In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163) Domain: chris@mimsy.umd.edu Path: uunet!mimsy!chris
heins@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Leeland Heins) (08/30/89)
In article <19308@mimsy.UUCP> chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes: (a lot of totally justified grousing about the ugly LK201 keyboard) Chris, Well, you could take the approach I have on several occasions... rip the keyboard apart and do some manual remapping. I've done this to several imitations of the awful IBM-PC, IBM-AT or the really unbearable IBM "Enhanced" keyboard... Unfortunately, University administrators really frown on hacking up their equipment. :-( Unfortunately, I think the LK201 is beyond hope for this kind of mods since the return key is the wrong shape... Is there anyone that makes a fixed keyboard that is compatible with the LK201? I'd really like to replace all of them that we have around here with something that is bearable. What I really want is this: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ________ | || ! || @ || # || $ || % || ^ || & || * || ( || ) || _ || + || | |esc|| 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 0 || - || = || delete | `---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`--------' _______ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | || || || || || || || || || || || { || } || | | | tab || q || w || e || r || t || y || u || i || o || p || [ || ] || \ | `-------'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---' ________ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ________ | || || || || || || || || || || : || " || | | ctrl || a || s || d || f || g || h || j || k || l || ; || ' || return | `--------'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`--------' __________ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __________ | || || || || || || || || < || > || ? || | | shift || z || x || c || v || b || n || m || , || . || / || shift | `----------'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---'`----------' ____ ___ ___ ________________________________ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ |caps|| ~ || || ||opt|| / ||\ /|| ^ || \ | |lock|| ` ||cmd|| space ||ion|| \ || v ||/ \|| / | `----'`---'`---'`--------------------------------'`---'`---'`---'`---'`---' Command and Option keys could be relabeled whatever meta-type keys were appropriate. Of course you'd need to add "Hold screen", "Print screeen", "Setup" and "Break" keys. Putting a Backspace key just to the right of the Delete key would be O.K. too... and caps lock could go to the left of Ctrl also... If f-keys are absolutely necessary (I don't like 'em, I don't use 'em), they should be lined up directly above the numbers. A numeric keypad could be put directly to the right of the main keyboard. >In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163) >Domain: chris@mimsy.umd.edu Path: uunet!mimsy!chris //|||\\ "Attack of the killer Lee Heins, EXNET Programmer //-O-O-\\ mutant techno-hippies Iowa State U. Extension || v || from Hell" heins@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu || === || ...!hplabs!hp-lsd!atanasoff!heins || --- || /// `|' \\\ Disclaimer: I speak for myself only.