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    commit e8f3513bf4d953176ae932c5d7eb5c374b05a2a0
    parent f210ea26c444607980d5de17ed7d4e62bb813631
    Author: Wolfgang Corcoran-Mathe <first.lord.of.teal@gmail.com>
    Date:   Fri, 25 Jul 2014 13:32:29 -0400

    Add info about Backspace and Delete to the FAQ

    Here is a modest attempt at cleaning it up a little bit. I changed a
    few phrases that seemed awkward, but I think the content is the same.

    --
    Wolfgang Corcoran-Mathe

    Signed-off-by: Roberto E. Vargas Caballero <k0ga@shike2.com>

    Diffstat:
    MFAQ | 87+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------------------

    1 file changed, 43 insertions(+), 44 deletions(-)
    diff --git a/FAQ b/FAQ
    @@ -104,54 +104,53 @@ This is an issue that was discussed in suckless mailing list
     <http://lists.suckless.org/dev/1404/20697.html>:

     	Well, I am going to comment why I want to change the behaviour
    -	of this key. When ascii was defined in 1968 communication
    -	with computers were done using punched cards, or hardcopy
    -	terminals (basically a typewritter machine connected with
    -	the computer using a serial port). Due to this, ascii defines
    -	DELETE as 7F, because in the puched cards, it means all the
    -	holes of the card punched, so it is a kind of 'phisical
    -	delete'. In the same way, BACKSPACE key was a non destructive
    -	back space, as in typewriter machines.  So, if you wanted
    -	to delete a character, you had to BACKSPACE and then DELETE.
    -	Other use of BACKSPACE was accented characters, for example
    -	'a BACKSPACE `'. The VT100 had no BACKSPACE key, it was
    -	generated using the CONTROL key as another control character
    -	(CONTROL key sets to 0 b7 b6 b5, so it converts H (code
    -	0x48) into BACKSPACE (code 0x08)), but it had a DELETE key
    -	in a similar position where BACKSPACE key is located today
    -	in common PC keyboards. All the terminal emulators emulated
    -	correctly the difference between these keys, and backspace
    -	key generated a BACKSPACE (^H) and delete key generated a
    -	DELETE (^?).
    -
    -	But the problem arised when Linus Torvald wrote Linux, and
    -	he did that the virtual terminal (the terminal emulator
    -	integrated in the kernel) returns a DELETE when backspace
    -	was pressed, due to the fact of the key in that position
    -	in VT100 was a delete key. This created a lot of problems
    -	(you can see it in [1] and [2]), and how Linux became the
    -	king, a lot of terminal emulators today generate a DELETE
    -	when backspace key is pressed in order to avoid problems
    -	with linux. It causes that the only way of generating a
    -	BACKSPACE in these systems is using CONTROL + H. I also
    -	think that emacs had an important point here because CONTROL
    -	+ H prefix is used in emacs in some commands (help commands).
    +	of this key. When ASCII was defined in 1968, communication
    +	with computers was done using punched cards, or hardcopy
    +	terminals (basically a typewriter machine connected with the
    +	computer using a serial port).  ASCII defines DELETE as 7F,
    +	because, in punched-card terms, it means all the holes of the
    +	card punched; it is thus a kind of 'physical delete'. In the
    +	same way, the BACKSPACE key was a non-destructive backspace,
    +	as on a typewriter.  So, if you wanted to delete a character,
    +	you had to BACKSPACE and then DELETE.  Another use of BACKSPACE
    +	was to type accented characters, for example 'a BACKSPACE `'.
    +	The VT100 had no BACKSPACE key; it was generated using the
    +	CONTROL key as another control character (CONTROL key sets to
    +	0 b7 b6 b5, so it converts H (code 0x48) into BACKSPACE (code
    +	0x08)), but it had a DELETE key in a similar position where
    +	the BACKSPACE key is located today on common PC keyboards.
    +	All the terminal emulators emulated the difference between
    +	these keys correctly: the backspace key generated a BACKSPACE
    +	(^H) and delete key generated a DELETE (^?).
    +
    +	But a problem arose when Linus Torvalds wrote Linux. Unlike
    +	earlier terminals, the Linux virtual terminal (the terminal
    +	emulator integrated in the kernel) returned a DELETE when
    +	backspace was pressed, due to the VT100 having a DELETE key in
    +	the same position.  This created a lot of problems (see [1]
    +	and [2]). Since Linux has become the king, a lot of terminal
    +	emulators today generate a DELETE when the backspace key is
    +	pressed in order to avoid problems with Linux. The result is
    +	that the only way of generating a BACKSPACE on these systems
    +	is by using CONTROL + H. (I also think that emacs had an
    +	important point here because the CONTROL + H prefix is used
    +	in emacs in some commands (help commands).)

     	From point of view of the kernel, you can change the key
     	for deleting a previous character with stty erase. When you
    -	connect a real terminal into a machine you describe the
    -	type of terminal, so getty configure the correct value of
    -	stty erase for this terminal, but in the case of terminal
    -	emulators you don't have any getty that can set the correct
    +	connect a real terminal into a machine you describe the type
    +	of terminal, so getty configures the correct value of stty
    +	erase for this terminal. In the case of terminal emulators,
    +	however, you don't have any getty that can set the correct
     	value of stty erase, so you always get the default value.
    -	So it means that in case of changing the value of the
    -	backspace keyboard, you have to add a 'stty erase ^H' into
    -	your profile. Of course, other solution can be that st
    -	itself modify the value of stty erase.  I have usually the
    -	inverse problem, when I connect with non Unix machines, and
    -	I have to press control + h to get a BACKSPACE, or the
    -	inverse, when a user connects to my unix machines from a
    -	different system with a correct backspace key.
    +	For this reason, it is necessary to add 'stty erase ^H' to your
    +	profile if you have changed the value of the backspace key.
    +	Of course, another solution is for st itself to modify the
    +	value of stty erase.  I usually have the inverse problem:
    +	when I connect to non-Unix machines, I have to press CONTROL +
    +	h to get a BACKSPACE. The inverse problem occurs when a user
    +	connects to my Unix machines from a different system with a
    +	correct backspace key.

     	[1] http://www.ibb.net/~anne/keyboard.html
     	[2] http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Keyboard-and-Console-HOWTO-5.html