Bug 18771

Summary:	Backspace doesn't work properly in X in all terminal programs
Product:	[Retired] Red Hat Linux	Reporter:	Scott Schmit <i.grok>
Component:	termcap	Assignee:	Bernhard Rosenkraenzer <bero>
Status:	CLOSED WORKSFORME	QA Contact:	David Lawrence <dkl>
Severity:	medium	Docs Contact:
Priority:	medium
Version:	7.0
Target Milestone:	---
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	i386
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Bug Fix
Doc Text:		Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:	2000-10-10 04:58:27 UTC	Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description Scott Schmit 2000-10-10 04:58:24 UTC

If you start a terminal in X and type at the command prompt, backspace
works just fine.
Run a program from it like ircii, vi, and mutt -- it works just fine.
Run a program like ftp, su, telnet, etc -- it doesn't.
Backspace results in ^H. Delete (which I've learned will usually be the
backspace even though it really shouldn't be) results in ^[[3~. Control-H
just gives another ^H. In other words, nothing works. This can get very
frustrating.

Furthermore, less has different problems. less somefile. type /oops, then
try to use the backspace. oops indeed. alt-backspace will clear to the
start of the word, but nevertheless backspace doesn't work right.

From a vt, however, the backspace works perfectly.

Comment 1 Bernhard Rosenkraenzer 2000-10-10 13:37:47 UTC

I can't reproduce any of this in either konsole, gnome-terminal and xterm.
You're probably using some odd ~/.termcap file?

Comment 2 Need Real Name 2000-12-04 15:05:57 UTC

2000.12.04:
Not resolved !

I've made an install of 7.0 from CD onto a freshly formatted partition (thus no 
old or modified .termcap) and experience similar problems, but worse: backspace 
doesnt work in any application within X (using out-of-the-box Gnome, havent 
tried KDE).

Backspace seems to work in VTs.

(Machine is a quite old Intel mobo (Portland?) PII-266, which has been running 
3.2, 4.0, 5.1 and 6.1 OK)

sincerely yours

Comment 3 Need Real Name 2000-12-05 08:23:56 UTC

(later)

As usual, problem turned up to be quite simple.

For some reason I've not discovered yet, both backspace and delete _keys_ are 
mapped to the _keysymbol_ delete.

Not being an x guru, what I could do was the following, non portable solution:

  xmodmap -e "keycode 22 = BackSpace"

improvised from man xmodmap info.
Note that 22 is the scan code for my keyboard, look up yours using xev

yours truly -