Arch Linux

Nate_KS

Member

Registered: 2011-01-04

Posts: 5

Backspace is ignored in Mutt pager in Xfce terminal

This is strange.

I found out today that the BackSpace key which I'd been used to for moving backward (bottom to top) through a message by line was being ignored.   Mutt helpfully informs me "Key is not bound.  Press '?' for help." on the input line.  As this had been working previously when running Debian/Linux Mint, I checked those RC files but find no mention of binding the BackSpace to the "previous-line" function.  I added "bind pager <backspace> previous-line" to my .muttrc to no avail.  Pressing ? in the pager and looking over the key bindings I see that it appears to be bound "<BackSpace>  previous-line            scroll up one line" but I still get the error.

I've verified that BackSpace works as expected in Midnight Commander, Vim, and at the shell command line.  I am running mustt in an Xfce terminal session.  I have also verified that BackSpace has the expected behavior in a virtual terminal.  I have also verified that the $TERM variable is set to xterm in Xfce terminal.

Looking at the output of xev all looks as expected:

KeyPress event, serial 35, synthetic NO, window 0x3e00002,
    root 0x274, subw 0x0, time 46127167, (-451,280), root:(100,695),
    state 0x0, keycode 22 (keysym 0xff08, BackSpace), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (08) "
    XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (08) "
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 35, synthetic NO, window 0x3e00002,
    root 0x274, subw 0x0, time 46127261, (-451,280), root:(100,695),
    state 0x0, keycode 22 (keysym 0xff08, BackSpace), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (08) "
    XFilterEvent returns: False

At the virtual console I get:

keycode  14 press
keycode  14 release

when pressing BackSpace.

Using the "what-key" function in Mutt in the Xfce terminal shows:

Char = ^?, Octal = 177, Decimal = 127

while at the virtual console it shows:

Char = <BackSpace>, Octal = 420, Decimal = 272

when pressing BackSpace.  The code in the Xfce terminal is that of ASCII Delete, so things are a bit awry.  Meanwhile Mutt sees the Delete key as:

Char = <Delete>, Octal = 423, Decimal = 275

in Xfce terminal and in the virtual console. 

Interestingly, typing Ctl+Shft+/ (for Ctl-?) Mutt shows BackSpace in virtual console but ^? Xfce terminal.

I also have the same behavior when using SSH to remotely access the desktop as I get from Xfce terminal.  In fact, this is how I first noticed this.

So far this is the only real glitch I've encountered since trying Arch.

Nate_KS

Member

Registered: 2011-01-04

Posts: 5

Re: Backspace is ignored in Mutt pager in Xfce terminal

Looks as though I may have fixed it in Xfce terminal by going to Edit=>Preferences=>Advanced and set "Backspace key generates:" to "Control-H".  So far it has not broken Midnight Commander or Vim and the key is now recognized in Mutt's pager and also works as the BackSpace (deleting the character to the left of the cursor and then moving the cursor to that place) in Mutt's editing fields.

Last edited by Nate_KS (2011-01-08 14:04:40)