Re: del in vi

[Jordan Bettis <jordanb@m-net.arbornet.org>]

On Wed, 13 Sep 2000, Charles Menzes wrote:

> i am running xterm in enlightenment. for some reason, when i run vi on a
> file, the backspace key does not perform a regular delete function
> (deleting the character to the left of the cursor). instead it deletes the
> character to the right of the cursor.
> from the command line, the key works as it should. is there a setting
> within vi that needs to be set for this? or is this something specific to
> my term settings?

This is a common problem with Unix, the backspace and delete keys are
sometimes swapped by the terminal. I don't know how to change xterm to
use the proper sequence, but in gnome-terminal (what I use), there is a
box "switch DEL/Backspace keys" option in the settings/preferences menu.

IIRC, the problem was because System V and BSD used different sequences
for backspace, the One True Backspace was never authoritivly stated so we
got the current mess.

How do you know you're using Unix?

"Because the backspace key doesn't work" -seen on Slashdot

Jordan Bettis.
"Probably the best operating system in the world is the [operating system]
 made for the PDP-11 by Bell Laboratories." - Ted Nelson, October 1977

-
To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@luci.org with
"unsubscribe luci-discuss" in the body.