From Bugzilla Helper: User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.6) Gecko/20040510 Description of problem: When using less in an xterm (either directly, or as a pager for man) and trying to enter some text (eg: a search string), backspace does not work - ^H is printed instead. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): xterm-191-1 How reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. start xterm 2. execute `less /var/log/dmesg` 3. type '/' to enter a search string 4. type in 'redhat', then press backspace Actual Results: The prompt now says: /redhat^H Expected Results: The prompt should have been: /redha Additional info: The following X resource fixes this bug for me: xterm*VT100.Translations: #override <Key>BackSpace: string(0x7F)\n I've not noticed any detrimental effects of this so far.
There are several possible ways to fix this; the one listed is one of the ones I wouldn't recommend. (Since xterm's users are evenly split on what "backspace" should send, it's up to the packager to make it consistent).
I am also seeing this when using man in an xterm (192-1). By the way, is this an xterm, a less or a termcap issue?
As far is I understand correctly, from amongst others, this thread: https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-list/2004-December/msg00503.html Fedora follows the debian backspace configuration. As far as I can tell, since Fedora Core 3, some errors have been introduced with respect to this. I see two bugs: 1) xterm sends ^H instead of ^? by default, konsole and gnome-terminal are correct. 2) termcap/info for xterm is incorrect, "tput kbs | cat -v ;echo" gives ^H instead of ^?. Note that these two seem to be compatible, but for some reason, the terminfo is not automatically used in the stty setting of the terminal (used to be done in bashrc, not since FC2?).
According to Enrico Scholz: "I think the current misbehavior of xterm is caused by | * Fr Jun 18 2004 Mike A. Harris <mharris redhat com> 191-1 | - Disabled xterm-resources-redhat.patch to see what if anything breaks" "Using | XTerm.ttyModes: erase ^? | XTerm*metaSendsEscape: true fixes most of the issues." https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-list/2004-December/msg00497.html
The cited thread says Fedora is following Debian's guidelines. However, Debian patches the XTerm app-defaults file, e.g., it adds these lines (as well as modifying the terminfo file): ! Debian package customizations follow. *backarrowKeyIsErase: true *ptyInitialErase: true Moral: you can't follow the Debian guidelines without patches.
The xterm-resources patch was updated in the latest xterm build for rawhide.