[gnu.emacs] Strange behavior of emacs/emacstool/SunView in SunOS 4

worley@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Dale Worley) (08/18/89)

We have recently converted to SunOS 4.0.3.  We are using Gnu Emacs
18.53.  I have been using Emacs under emacstool under SunOS 3.5, with
no problems.  When we converted to SunOS 4.0.3, I noticed the strange
problem that every time (or at least, most of the time) I typed M-f, I
got some sort of SunView error message in my cmdtool window.  I
suspected that this was a problem with the fact that I hadn't
recompiled emacstool with the 4.0.3 libraries.  I recompiled and
relinked emacstool, and the problem seemed to go away.

The next problem I noticed was that whenever I type M-v, the M-v is
transmitted to Emacs, but is then immediately followed by a "stuff"
operation -- that is, the "shelf" (or whatever that buffer is called)
is fed to Emacs as input!  However, this does not seem to be
particular to emacstool, since cmdtool and texttool (but not
shelltool) windows do the same strange thing with M-v.

I learned how to clear the shelf (type L6 in a window in which nothing
is selected), so I can save myself from this problem.

Then a more insidious problem appeared.  Sometimes SunView gets into a
state in which M-f causes the window in which it is typed to hang for
anywhere up to a couple of minutes.  (As before, some sort of window
system error is written to cmdtool.)  The only method of clearing this
state that I know of is exiting and reentering SunView.

According to table 6-2 in the SunView 1 Programmer's Guide, M-v
activates ACTION_PASTE and M-f activates ACTION_FIND_FORWARD.

Does anybody know what is causing these error messages?

Does anybody know how to disable these "features", either in
emacstool, or in SunView as a whole?

Will switching to a newer version of emacstool make it work better?

And, will someone please update emacstool so it disables the caps-lock
key again?

Please respond by mail, our news connection is poor right now.

Dale
--
Dale Worley, Compass, Inc.                      worley@compass.com
Insanity provides a nearly impregnable defense.  It's hard to ask the
salesman for a refund when he's sniffing your crotch and baying at the
moon.  But you have to lay the groundwork early.  -- Cerebus