Backspace key doesn't work correctly if XKB is not used. Not a problem with the default configuration, but when /var/tmp is full, XKB doesn't work. I'm not sure if it is possible the disk-full case, but fixing backspace in non-XKB configuration is a one-liner. (I will post it here). See also bug# 7839
here is the patch (for one of the later versions of X). directory: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/common --- xf86KbdLnx.c.orig Sat Jan 2 16:12:41 1999 +++ xf86KbdLnx.c Sat Jan 2 16:13:31 1999 @@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ static KeySym linux_to_x[256] = { NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, - XK_BackSpace, XK_Tab, XK_Linefeed, NoSymbol, + NoSymbol, XK_Tab, XK_Linefeed, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, @@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ XK_p, XK_q, XK_r, XK_s, XK_t, XK_u, XK_v, XK_w, XK_x, XK_y, XK_z, XK_braceleft, - XK_bar, XK_braceright, XK_asciitilde, XK_Delete, + XK_bar, XK_braceright, XK_asciitilde, XK_BackSpace, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, NoSymbol, Note: I have not tested the patch by recompiling due to disk space reasons, but binary patching my X server executable produces the desired effects.
*** Bug 7839 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
we fixed this in a slightly different way for 6.2.