Poll: Should Xorg change from using Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to something harder for users to press by accident?

walter harms wharms at bfs.de
Wed Sep 24 07:11:04 PDT 2008


Beso schrieb:
> 2008/9/24 Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>:
>> Ben Gamari (FOSS) wrote:
>>
>>> My completely unprofessional opinion is that Jason brings up a really
>>> good point here. Accidentally zapping Xorg can not only be extremely
>>> frustrating, but it could be extremely confusing for a new user. This
>>> being said, I also agree that any change that might be zapping
>>> unreliable or even unduly difficult is unacceptable.However, I do
>>> believe there is a better solution than what we have presently. Ctrl,
>>> Alt, and Backspace are usually three of the largest keys on most
>>> keyboards and I can personally attest to the ease of triggering on some
>>> keyboards (try typing on a laptop balanced on your knee).
>>>
>>> I think that requiring two presses of Ctrl-Alt-Backspace in close
>>> succession would be perfect, so long as a tightly looping Xorg would
>>> still register the event. Otherwise, perhaps adding Shift to the
>>> Ctrl-Alt-Backspace combination would be a reasonable course of action so
>>> long as it doesn't preclude any keyboards. If this too is not possible,
>>> perhaps making use of the Pause/Break key in replacement of the
>>> Backspace key would be workable.
>> Ctrl-Alt-Break would be an improvement. Apart from anything else, that
>> isn't bound to anytyhing in Emacs (which pre-dates X, BTW).
>>
>> For me, if X locks up to the extent that I can't quit the WM (and thus
>> the session) normally, it is normally locked up to the extent that
>> Ctrl-Alt-BS doesn't work either, and I need to resort to Alt-SysRq-K.
>> Unfortunately, that tends to leave the video card in a state where
>> consoles don't work, but I can at least use Ctrl-Alt-Del to trigger a
>> clean reboot.
>>
> 
> maybe could be interesting the adding of a function to remap the
> keyboards instead of mapping an alternative. in  this way people that
> continue to trigger it without really wanting to might change the key
> sequence. remapping it would mean that 99% of xorg users need to go
> and search for the new key sequence. so in my opinion the proposal is
> stupid and would only trigger a users stand up against it. you don't
> like it, then just assign another sequence (this should be the real
> proposal) if already this has not been implemented.
> 

i do not like the idea, people that use X11 are used to have crtl-alt-bs.
it is confusing not to have it. i do not see a real problem.

if xorg is confused to an extend that c-a-b does not work anymore it is clear
that the code may need some improvements.
An other idea would to allow additional key combinations  (mod+mouse) to behave like
c-a-b. looks like a nice config option.

re,
 wh






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