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The Linux keyboard and console HOWTO

Andries Brouwer, aeb@cwi.nl

v2.13, 2002-10-12

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This note contains some information about the Linux keyboard and console, and the use of non-ASCII characters. It describes Linux 2.0.

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1. Useful programs

2. Keyboard generalities

3. Console generalities

4. Resetting your terminal

• 4.1 Keyboard hardware reset

5. Delete and Backspace

• 5.1 How to tell Unix what character you want to use to delete the last typed character
• 5.2 How to tell Linux what code to generate when a key is pressed
• 5.3 How to tell X to interchange Delete and Backspace
• 5.4 How to tell emacs what to do when it receives a Delete or Backspace
• 5.5 How to tell emacs to interchange Delete and Backspace
• 5.6 How to tell kermit to interchange Delete and Backspace
• 5.7 How to tell xterm to interchange Delete and Backspace
• 5.8 How to tell xterm about your favourite tty modes
• 5.9 How to tell non-Motif X applications that the Del key deletes forward
• 5.10 How to tell xmosaic that the Backspace key generates a DEL
• 5.11 A better solution for Motif-using programs, like netscape
• 5.12 What about termcap and terminfo?
• 5.13 A complete solution

6. The console character sets

7. Console switching

• 7.1 Changing the number of Virtual Consoles

8. Ctrl-Alt-Del and other special key combinations

• 8.1 Ctrl-Alt-Del (Boot)
• 8.2 Other combinations
• 8.3 X Combinations
• 8.4 Dosemu Combinations
• 8.5 Composing symbols
• 8.6 The SysRq key
• 8.7 Problems

9. How to get out of raw mode

10. The keyboard LEDs

11. The TERM variable

• 11.1 Terminfo

12. How to make other programs work with non-ASCII chars

13. X

• 13.1 What precisely does XFree86-2.1 do when it initializes its keymap?

14. Unusual keys and keyboards

• 14.1 Funkeys

15. Examples of use of loadkeys and xmodmap

• 15.1 `I can use only one finger to type with'
• 15.2 Sticky keys under X

16. Changing the video mode

• 16.1 Instructions for the use of resizecons

17. Changing the keyboard repeat rate

18. Scrolling

19. Screensaving

20. Screen dumps

21. Some properties of the VT100 - application key mode

22. Hardware incompatibility

23. Copyright

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