Lo, on Friday, June 1, D-Man did write: > On Thu, May 31, 2001 at 06:49:31PM -0700, Krzys Majewski wrote:
<snip the vi/emacs proselytizing> > | Type M-x tutorial (Escape-x tutorial) for a 15 minute intro that will > > That is press and release Escape, press and release x, type > 'tutorial'. > > (this little explanation of Meta is for those with interesting > combinations of OSes and hardware types wondering why Meta "doesn't" > work) > > Escape works as Meta regardless of machine type. If you are using an > x86 Linux system, the left Alt is also Meta (So type Alt-x tutorial). Depends on keyboard settings in your Xf86Config file. If you've got (for XFree86 v3) the following setting, XkbKeymap "xfree86(us_microsoft)" then the plastic bumps labeled `alt' generate the `alt' keysym, but the plastic bumps with the windows logo generate the `meta' keysym (and appropriate modifier bits). In any case, it's configurable; see xmodmap(1) or xkeycaps(1). (I'd also point out that this is an X issue, not an emacs issue.) > If you are on a Windows box that is XHosting emacs running on Solaris > the Alt doesn't work -- the black diamond key on the Solaris keyboard > is Meta (same place as PC Alt). I haven't tried with any other > system, but I found that inconsistency (in OSes/hardware) to be rather > annoying. It's not a bug, it's a feature. xmodmap(1)/xkeycaps(1) allow you, the user, to adjust the keyboard to the way in which you work, rather than adjusting yourself to the way in which the computer works. For instance, I have the Microsoft Natural Elite keyboard, with the above setting in my XF86Config file. It's probably just what I'm used to, but I find the `alt' keys to be much more reachable than the windows keys during normal touch-typing, so I've set my xmodmaprc up to rebind those to meta instead of alt. Since I never actually use the alt keysym, I've left the windows keys unbound. Of the various X servers for Win32, I've only used Exceed's, but ISTR that it has an xmodmap-like tool with which you can configure the various extended keys. I'd imagine the other X servers have similar tools. Richard