Re: vterm and Meta?

[Thibaut Verron]

> It looks up x: "runs the command self-insert-command (found in
> global-map), which is an interactive built-in function in ‘C source
> code’ ..."

Even with emacs -q?

Are you perhaps trying to use Meta like you use Esc, releasing Alt before you 
press x ?

> Alt or ESC, or both?

Both, but I'm only surprised about Alt, Esc should always work.

On Tue Aug 1, 2023, 04:25 PM GMT, hw <mailto:hw@adminart.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 2023-08-01 at 17:09 +0200, Thibaut Verron wrote:
>> On 01/08/2023 16:21, hw wrote:
>> >
>> > > If not, Meta is usually bound to a modifier key (afaik by default the
>> > > one immediately left of the space bar, e.g. alt on PC keyboards), and
>> > > that works in vterm.
>> > Uhm, I've been using emacs for over 30 years and in all these years,
>> > the ESC key was always used for a meta key across all instances by
>> > default. It's the same when running emacs in a terminal, as an X11
>> > client or with wayland.
>>
>> Yes, that is still the case. Alt is bound to Meta (as a modifier) on GUI
>> clients, and so is Esc (as a prefix).
>
> Alt doesn't really do much.
>> > The key left of the space bar has always been the Alt key on all PC
>> > keyboards I've used so far. Pressing, for example, Alt-x, inserts x
>> > into the buffer (like into this buffer I'm writing this reply in, and
>> > into the vterm buffer).
>> >
>> > How is it that it's different for you?
>>
>> I have no idea! It should be the default behavior, at least for GUI
>> Emacs: Meta (the emacs modifier) is bound to Alt (the modifier key), and
>> Alt is free to bind to another modifier. I would guess that either your
>> keyboard has an unconventional mapping, or your Emacs has an
>> unconventional setting.
>
> I have used quite a few different keyboards over the decades, so
> that's probably not it.
>> How is it with emacs -q?
>>
>> What key does C-h k Alt-x look up for you? M-x, A-x, or x?
>
> It looks up x: "runs the command self-insert-command (found in
> global-map), which is an interactive built-in function in ‘C source
> code’ ..."
>
> It used to be possible to do stuff with key bindings through xmodmap.
> I haven't been able to do anything like that with wayland.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Thibaut
>>
>> PS. I just tried it in a terminal and it also works there, I was not
>> expecting it. But it might depend on the capabilities of your terminal
>> emulator.
>
> Alt or ESC, or both?
>
>