Re: Alt_L and Alt_R are not the same

[Klaus Zeitler]

>>>>> "Alex" == Alex Schroeder <alex@reality.emacswiki.org> writes:
    Alex> 
    Alex> Actually, you are right.  The right Alt ("Alt Gr") is used to
    Alex> compose the tilde, the pipe, the at sign, the backslash, and super
    Alex> script 2 and 3.  These currently don't work anymore -- and I hadn't
    Alex> noticed for several days.  I will report back when the rest of the
    Alex> environment works again and Emacs still doesn't do the right thing.
    Alex> 
I wouldn't recommend mapping AltGr to Meta you need some mode switch key
on a German keyboard. On a 105 German keyboard I normally map the 2 windows
keys to Meta (L and R) and leave the Alt keys alone, i.e. the left one
is the Alt modifier and the AltGrrrrr key is used as Mode_switch. You can
generate a xmodmaprc file with xkeycaps and then fiddle a bit with it.
BTW I try to avoid German keyboards like the pest, I think they are unsuitable
for programmers.
    >>> keycode 115 = Alt_L
    >>> keycode 116 = Alt_R
    Alex> 
    Alex> And when I press them in xev, this is what happens.  The xev window
    Alex> is getting the events.
    Alex> 
    Alex> KeyRelease event, serial 27, synthetic NO, window 0x1800001,
    Alex>     root 0x26, subw 0x0, time 1340261805, (54,-14), root:(799,73),
    Alex>     state 0x40, keycode 115 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
    Alex>     XLookupString gives 0 characters:  ""
    Alex> 
    Alex> KeyPress event, serial 27, synthetic NO, window 0x1800001,
    Alex>     root 0x26, subw 0x0, time 1340262492, (54,-14), root:(799,73),
    Alex>     state 0x0, keycode 116 (keysym 0xffea, Alt_R), same_screen YES,
    Alex>     XLookupString gives 0 characters:  ""
    Alex> 
try xmodmap -pm and you'll see that Alt_L is listed as a modifier (I think
mod4) whereas Alt_R is not in the list of modifiers.

Klaus

-- 
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|  Klaus Zeitler      Lucent Technologies  |
|  Email:             kzeitler@lucent.com  |
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---
There are people so addicted to exaggeration
that they can't tell the truth without lying.