LK201 and xmodmap (was Re: Ultrix3.0/X11 key mappings - how?)

[Chris Torek]

In article <8906280329.AA25279 at cscwam.UMD.EDU> stripes at wam.UMD.EDU writes:
>I feed it this file which changes the <> keys as well as changeing the
>big "X in a Triangle like thing" key where the backspace belongs into
>a backspace (I use many termanls, and the VAXstation is the only one
>with a easy to find Delete key, so I set stty erase ^H...) feel free
>to change any or all of it...
>keycode 237 = period greater
>keycode 232 = comma less
>keycode 188 = BackSpace Delete

I use something somewhat different on the LK201 (`the Keyboard from Hell').
Here is my .Xkeys file for the DS3100:

	clear Lock
	! the following attempt to put caps lock on F20 does not work
	!add Lock = F20
	keysym quoteleft = Escape
	keysym Delete = quoteleft asciitilde
	! the following is peculiar to the LK201
	keycode 140 = Delete
	! fix DECism
	keycode 177 = Meta_L

This gets rid of caps lock entirely (I want `caps lock' keys to be almost
as hard to hit as power switches), puts ESC on the key labelled ~` (which
happens to be where ESC would be on a proper keyboard), puts tilde and
backquote on the <X| key (which is in the right area), and puts DEL on
the `remove' key.  As it happens, I always type control-H for backspace
rather than reaching for a `BACK SPACE' key, so this works, despite the
keyboard missing one key in the righthand side of the main group.  (Oh,
for a way to move the abominable `<>' key out of the way of SHIFT....)
The last line removes the special meaning from the `compose' key,
making it a pure meta key.  I do not like the mashing-together of the
`composition' key (used to get at eighth-bit characters) and the `meta'
key (used in X11 to make mouse button act globally).

For whatever reasons, X11 on our DS3100s already has shifted , and .
as < and >, so I did not have to fix those.

I would pay up to several hundred dollars *out of my own pocket* for a
sane plug-in replacement for the LK201.  How the Keyboard from Hell was
ever selected as `ergonomic' is beyond me.  Perhaps secretarial typists
were used to shifted `,' and `.' producing `,' and `.'; but how could
they be happy with a key that *prevents* normal shifting?  If a
separate key had to be introduced for `<>', why not put it in the
`miscellaneous' cluster on the right with `\|'?  And why move tilde and
backquote to where ESC should be?---not that secretarial typists used
to electric typewriters would ever use ESC: but neither would they use
tilde and backquote.  DEC must never have tried the LK201 on computer
programmers.  (`Why should we?  No programmer would ever use DEC
equipment.'---well, maybe not any more, now that all DEC equipment
comes with this abomination.)
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris at mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris