Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Tue, 9 Jan 2007, Greg Mayman wrote:

> On Tue, 9 Jan 2007 02:40:36 +0000 (UTC), sindi keesan wrote:
>
> > startx, make an xterm (which is actually an rxvt), type 'xmodmap
> > xmodmap.84' (without the ' ') and then press the Enter key.
>
> Granted that what you said is patently obvious to you and anyone
> conversant with BL, I don't understand it at all. But I guess I
> can follow the keystrokes.
>
> And I have only a hazy idea (possibly incorrect) of what xterm is
> or what it is supposed to do.

It is like a window in Windows.  The 'xterm' in BL3 is actually a simpler 
smaller version called rxvt.  Go to the menu and click on xterm to make an 
xterm in which you can type commands.

> And no idea at all why typing that command would do anything. But
> I'll do it anyway and see what happens.

xmodmap modifies the X keyboard map.  Redefines the key definitions to 
match the list in my xmodmap.84 (or any other file you want to feed it). 
Look at my file for a better understanding.  Someone else did this by just 
changing a few keys individually.  See the archives about keyboard.

> And this is probably going to sound like another lot of stupid
> questions: Where should I have the xmodmap.84 file located when I
> do the above? Will BL automatically search for it? Should I do a
> cd to the directory where it is before I execute the above
> command?

Your question is a good one.  I put xmodmap.84 in /root where .xinitrc is 
and can find it.  So you can cd /root and then execute the command or
xmodmap /root/xmodmap.84.

I think traditionally it would go some place in /usr/X11R6, I forget 
where.

> e3pi  /root/.xinitrc
> > Arrow down, add the 'xmodmap xmodmap.84' to the end of the file using the
> > alphabet keys, type Ctrl-X and then Y.
>
> Yes, I _do_ know which alphabet keys to press to get which
> letters. The rest seems quite clear, although I don't understand
> how it is going to work.

That was a joke, sorry.
Putting this line in .xinitrc loads it automatically each time you start 
X.

I don't recall if the backspace worked in X programs, but I know it did 
not for me on most of our computers in an xterm/rxvt, before the fix.

> > Type e3pi --help for instructions on how to use this editor in 'pico'
> > mode.
>
> So e3pi is an editor! What is "pico" mode?

Pico is the little text editor first used in Pine, which is now popular on 
its own.  Backspace does not work there, DEL does (or Ctrl-D).  Ctrl-@ 
should delete whole words.  Type 'e3pi' or 'edit'.

e3vi is the same editor as e3pi, used with commands that imitate the more 
difficult 'vi' editor.  There is also a wordstar mode, for those who use 
wordstar.

> > O'Reilly 'Running Linux', 1999 edition, is often in used bookstores or
> > public libraries.  BL is a changing target.
>
> I'll look out for it. Yes, BL is an evolving thing, that much I
> gathered, but most of it starts from a common point.

O'Reilly is not aimed at the large commercial distributions.

> .   ,-./\
> .  /     \     from Greg Mayman, in Adelaide, South Australia
> .  \_,-*_/     "Queen City of The South"    34:55 S  138:36 E
> .       v

Sindi