Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 23876
backspace does not delete
Last modified: 2007-04-18 12:30:40 EDT
Hi, I'm having trouble getting backspace key to work as expected. In almost every application I've tried, Control-H does the job but how do I get backspace to map that way? I'm assuming that I will need to set up my .inputrc file and my .xinitrc file. I just don't know the commands to put into those files to get this to work. In addition, Control-H does not work in the StarOffice word processor. Thanks, Paul R. Behmen pbehmen@yahoo.com
I can't reproduce this (without a .inputrc or anything other than exec startkde in .xinitrc). Does this happen only in X, or on the console as well? Which keyboard layout are you using? Did you modify /etc/inputrc?
The applications that I've seen this in are Netscape and StarOffice word processor. In addition, the rxvt behaves similarly. In StarOffice even control-H doesn't backspace and delete. In Netscape, control-H performs the backspace and delete. I'm running sawfish in gnome. In this netscape window that I'm typing in (Xwindows-MOTIF, I assume) control-H does my backspace and delete just fine. Pressing the backspace key doesn't do anything: the cursor remains in the same spot. Here's my .inputrc that I was experimenting with: "\C-?": delete-char "\C-h": backward-delete-char I got this off of redhat's site when I searched for backspace. It was in the keyboard how-to section 5 . I tried the .xinitrc from that area but it didn't work. X would not start up because of problems with that .xinitrc file. Here's the .xinitrc that the keyboard how-to recommended: xmodmap <<-EOF keycode 22 = BackSpace osfBackSpace keycode107=Delete EOF #startyourwindowmanagerhere,forexample: (fvwm)2>&1|tee/dev/tty/dev/console sttysane sttyerase^H loadmap<<-EOF keycode14=BackSpace keycode111=Delete EOF
No I did not alter /etc/.inputrc .
I added the /etc/.inputrc file and I still have a problem with backspace performing delete. Sorry for the delay in getting back. I want backspace to move the cursor one character to the left and erase the character it moved over. Summary: In "vi" called from an xterm window, backspace works. In Netscape backspace doesn't work but control-h does the same function. In StarOffice word processor, back space doesn't work and control-h doesn't work either. In emacs backspace doesn't work and control-h doesn't work either. Help!
We still can't reproduce this, but your current description indicates a problem with either your X setup or the XFree86 keytables. Which keyboard layout are you using?
Reassigning to XFree86, that's where the keytables are.
1) I am currently using an IBM keyboard with the US layout. 2) What is a keytable, how do I access it? Are there descriptions of this in any of the manuals? 3) Why would XFree86 setup my resources this way? Is this something I did during installation? 4) Sorry for the confusion, but from the last comment are you saying that this problem is being reassigned to XFree86? How do I contact them and is there a support group/channel for them so I can resolve this problem? Many, Many Thanks!
You mentioned above you added "/etc/.xinputrc". The file is /etc/inputrc with no dot. If you make a personal inputrc in your home directory it should be ~/.inputrc I cannot reproduce any of the problem you are having so it must be a local configuration issue I think. You might want to try our mailing lists for configuration help.