Arch Linux

flowerberg

Member

Registered: 2010-09-13

Posts: 5

Using `xterm -xrm` to Change ALT Key Command

Hello there,

I am trying to work out a way to start irssi so that my ALT key works as Escape (ie ALT-1, ALT-2, etc switches between windows).  As of right now I've configured my ~/.Xdefaults file to contain:

XTerm*eightBitInput: False
XTerm*metaSendsEscape: True

However this obviously affects all xterm instances.  What I would like to do is to be able to change this behavior at the CLI...something like:

xterm -xrm xterm*eightbitinput:false -xrm xterm*metasendsescape:true -e irssi

This does not work.  My ALT key is still set to produce non-standard characters within irssi.  I've played around with `xterm -xrm` and other behaviors work properly:

xterm -xrm xterm*background:blue -xrm xterm*foreground:white

This produces the expected result of opening a new xterm instance with a blue background and a white foreground.

Why is it that I cannot get the eightBitInput and metaSendsEscape options to work using the -xrm option? (even though they work when I have them in my ~/.Xdefaults?

Thanks in advance,

fb

splicer

Member

Registered: 2009-10-30

Posts: 11

Re: Using `xterm -xrm` to Change ALT Key Command

I think capitalization matters: xterm*metaSendsEscape:true