[chadseld]

I am having fun learning how to use the LyX document editor. Many of the commands are control-key combinations. For instance C-x, or C-s. Other commands are Meta-key combinations like M-p. As far as I know the meta key is supposed to be alt (option). This does not work. Neither does command, or command-option, or shift-command, etc... I have tried every combination under the sun, and have not been able to get any meta key functions to respond.

Does apples X11 correctly send the alt/meta key? Would I have better luck using XDarwin? Am I missing something?

thanks for the help
chad

[Rainy Day]

I haven't played with X11 yet, but i can tell you that in the terminal there is a "Window Setting" to use the option key as a meta key (Window Setting --> Emulation). Without that setting, the Escape key is the usual meta key.

Note that meta is not a modifier key like the shift or control keys are. It is a character sequence. Meta-D, for example, is the escape key followed by the D key.

However when the option key setting is turned on, the option key behaves as you'd expect any normal modifier key to behave and not as a key sequence (i.e. it would not be option followed by D, in our example above, but Option-D, as you'd expect; hopefully this is clear). This is because the various modifier keys (e.g. shift, control, option and command) can only work in conjunction with another key. Escape is not a modifier key, but a character key, like A-Z, for example, and so could only be used in a character sequence.

But even with this option enabled, the Escape sequence still works. The option key is merely a "shortcut."

Hope this helps.