Mail Archives: cygwin/2008/07/18/11:50:19
Mark J. Reed wrote:
> I think you're missing the point.
>
> Out of the box, on a Linux system, the backspace key works as
> intended. Period. You had bogus configuration stuff in your .vimrc,
> which is not Linux's fault.
No you're missing the larger point. This is Cygwin - not Linux, though I
know that Cygwin is closer to Linux than other Unix's. Linux generally
has backspace pretty well configured out of the box as you say. But many
other Unix's don't. IMHO Solaris is the worse offender in my experience.
In general however it's only Unix who has particular problems with the
backspace key. No other key demonstrates as much trouble. Rarely, if
ever, does "a" not generate an "a" character. Nor "b" generate "b" and
so on. It's only the backspace key and only on Unix's. Try as you may
that statement, that simple fact says something to anybody who is open
minded and who's not immediately defensive and throwing out excuses.
> So it sounds like you're complaining about the fact that it's possible
> to screw up something so fundamental as the backspace key in the first
> place.
Yes I said that... and more. Again, other keys do what their key caps
say - just not backspace. Why is that?
> But since people do still log into Linux systems on serial consoles,
> the ability to deal with backspace keys that aren't necessarily the
> one on the attached USB keyboard is still valuable.
The type of keyboard is irrelevant really. If it says backspace it
should go backward a space. It should act like backspace does for 99% of
the other OSes out there. There should be no surprise as to what the
key's function is and the key should function properly and normally as
it it labeled. If anybody should be inconvenienced here it should be
much more the few using antiquated equipment than the masses using the
equipment of th e day - don't you agree?
--
Andrew DeFaria <http://defaria.com>
If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be
the process of putting them in.
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