editing log message

[maxwell]

I've been using RCS for ages now, but I'm having trouble editing the log
message on one system.  If I log into this computer (a Linux system
running RCS v5.7), and check in a file, it of course gives me the usual '>
' prompt to type in my log message.  It basically works OK, unless I make
a misteak (believe it or not, sometimes I misspell things).  If I'm
running on a tty like puTTY or SSH Shell client, I can use the backspace
key, but nothing much else works: not the cursor arrows (which give me
on-screen characters like '^[[C' or '^[[A'--I believe these are the ANSI
escape sequences for cursor control).

If I'm running an X-Win32 terminal, it's even worse: not even the
backspace or delete chars work.  (I have the XKeyboard extension turned
off.)

I suppose this is more of a tty problem than it is a problem with RCS,
except for one thing: these keys work fine for editing if I'm at the
bash-prompt level.  So something is different between the way bash does a
readline and the way 'ci' does.  If I could make 'ci' read the log message
as I type it interactively the same way 'bash' reads the command line, I
would be home free.

I've tried editing my .inputrc file, but it seems to have no effect at
this level (it does affect the editing of the command line in bash, of
course).

So my question is, what input routine is 'ci' using for reading in the log
message, and how can I tell it what to do with control key and cursor
sequences?  I would be happy (OK, happier) if I could just get it to
recognize the backspace key in an X-Win32 terminal.  Even better would be
full use of cursor/ control keys.

  Mike Maxwell
  CASL/ U MD