MacX Mapping DECwindows Keys To Macintosh Keyboard (11/93)

I'm using MacX 1.2 to connect to a VAX/VMS. When in VT100 editing mode on
the VAX' X-client application, some keys don't work using the Macintosh
extended keyboard. The top four keys "clear", "=", "/", and "*" on the
numeric keypad are the ones I'm have trouble with. Here is an example or
the key's functionality:

* deletes a line
Clear 4 goes to end of file
Clear/ is used to find something.

I also have VersaTerm-Pro, and with VersaTerm-Pro these keys work fine.
Remote command is:

set display/create/transport=tcpip/node=s10222
Second line: /create/term/detatch

I hope this information is sufficient to diagnose the problem and tell me
what is wrong.

This is not a MacX problem. DECwindows applications may have features that
require keys not available on Macintosh keyboards. The keys you are
talking about are the top row of the numeric keypad. In an editor such as
EDT, these keys send the PFn keysyms and require special mapping.
VersaTerm-Pro works fine because it is a terminal emulator that correctly
sends the keysyms for these numeric keypad keys.

Page 17 of the PATHWORKS MacX User's Guide discussed this keyboard mapping
using a VAX/VMS application called MSAX$MODMAP. MSAX$MODMAP modifies and
displays mapping tables used by the X11 server to translate keystrokes to
key symbols. A mapping table tells the X Window System -- in this case,
MacX -- how to translate the keystrokes. The term keysymbol (or keysym)
refers to the individual location of a key as defined by the software.
MacX captures the signals generated by the keys specified in the mapping
table and translates them to key symbols that can be recognized by X11
client applications.

The remote command you used is fine. Once you are at the DECterm window
and before you start EDT, you should run the following command to map the
keyboard:

$ MCR MSAX$MODMAP MSA$EXAMPLES:MSAX$POSITIONAL_EXTENDED_KEYBOARD.DAT

You can choose to put this command in a command procedure to save typing.

I strongly suggest that you read about MacX keyboard mapping from the
manual to understand the other options available.


Published Date: Feb 19, 2012