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authorRichard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>2001-04-01 03:32:04 +0000
committerRichard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>2001-04-01 03:32:04 +0000
commitb7c6b89285ac5755e92fc9e7a22b54183c9193c7 (patch)
tree9fa9fb57016a30c4d66c8eea83e3a2e4f91e70b7 /man/trouble.texi
parent0bbfb0e16d4e9340996a3bff9eb102cb3cef38ca (diff)
downloademacs-b7c6b89285ac5755e92fc9e7a22b54183c9193c7.tar.gz
Add concept of "usual erasure key" to explain about DEL.
Diffstat (limited to 'man/trouble.texi')
-rw-r--r--man/trouble.texi36
1 files changed, 20 insertions, 16 deletions
diff --git a/man/trouble.texi b/man/trouble.texi
index cd583a2a222..276a7a74a98 100644
--- a/man/trouble.texi
+++ b/man/trouble.texi
@@ -139,28 +139,32 @@ normally, and how to recognize them and correct them.
@subsection If @key{DEL} Fails to Delete
@cindex @key{DEL} vs @key{BACKSPACE}
@cindex @key{BACKSPACE} vs @key{DEL}
+@cindex usual erasure key
- Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET}
-or @key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase
-the last character that you typed. We call this key @key{DEL}.
+ Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET} or
+@key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase the
+last character that you typed. We call this key @dfn{the usual
+erasure key}. In Emacs, it is supposed to be equivalent to @key{DEL}.
When Emacs starts up using a window system, it determines
automatically which key should be @key{DEL}. In some unusual cases
-Emacs gets the wrong information from the system. If the @key{DEL}
-key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably what
-happened---Emacs ought to be treating the @key{DELETE} key as
+Emacs gets the wrong information from the system. If the usual
+erasure key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably
+what happened---Emacs ought to be treating the @key{DELETE} key as
@key{DEL}, but it isn't.
- With a window system, if the @key{DEL} key says @key{BACKSPACE} and
-there is a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere, but the @key{DELETE} key
-deletes backward instead of forward, that too suggests Emacs got the
-wrong information---but in the opposite sense. It ought to be
-treating the @key{BACKSPACE} key as @key{DEL}, but it isn't.
-
- On a text-only terminal, if you find the @key{DEL} key prompts for a
-Help command like @kbd{Control-h}, instead of deleting a character, it
-means that key is actually sending the @key{BS} character. Emacs
-ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it isn't.
+ With a window system, if the usual erasure key is labeled
+@key{BACKSPACE} and there is a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere, but the
+@key{DELETE} key deletes backward instead of forward, that too
+suggests Emacs got the wrong information---but in the opposite sense.
+It ought to be treating the @key{BACKSPACE} key as @key{DEL}, but it
+isn't.
+
+ On a text-only terminal, if you find the usual erasure key prompts
+for a Help command, like @kbd{Control-h}, instead of deleting a
+character, it means that key is actually sending the @key{BS}
+character. Emacs ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it
+isn't.
In all of those cases, the immediate remedy is the same: use the
command @kbd{M-x normal-erase-is-backspace-mode}. That should make