Meta (Compose) Key Strangeness on DS3100

[Chris Torek]

In article <865 at hadron.UUCP> klr at hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) writes:
>... We are running using Xterm and uws rather than DECterm ....
>On the DS3100, it you press the META key and the left mouse button
>in a window, that window iconifies.  No big deal.  However, the
>"Compose Key" light on the keyboard comes on.  It will stay on, until
>you open the iconified window, and attempt to type in it.  At that
>time, it will eat from 1 to 3 characters ....

The `Compose Character' key is trying simultaneously to be `meta' and
`compose', and failing miserably.

The cure is to say

	xmodmap -e 'keycode 177 = Meta_L'

(or put the keycode expression in a file, and `xmodmap <file>').

The table I use, which disables caps-lock entirely, puts ESC on the
`~ key and `~ on the <X| (delete) key, hides DEL on `Remove', and
puts `<' and `>' above `,' and `.' is:

	clear Lock
	keysym quoteleft = Escape
	keysym Delete = quoteleft asciitilde
	keycode 140 = Delete
	keycode 177 = Meta_L
	keysym comma = comma less
	keysym period = period greater

This makes the LK201 almost tolerable.  (There is still no backspace
key, but I long ago wired my fingers to type control-H; there is still
an extra <> key in the way of the left shift key; the now-inoperative
Lock key is still too fat; and there is still no reasonable delete
key.  Others have suggested moving tilde and backquote to that extra
key between z and shift, which leaves the envelope key---my name for
the large delete key at the top right of the main keyboard [hint: look
at it sideways]---free for backspace or delete [but not both].)

I would still pay good money for a keyboard that does not make my
left pinky ache.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris at mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris