4. General information

Linuxconf is written at Solucorp by Jacques Gelinas (jacques@solucorp.qc.ca).

Comments and bug reports are accepted via email.

4.1 Key bindings in text mode

Most screens do have a help button. You can access this button using the TAB key or directly using the F1 function key.

Some fields have a companion pop-up selection list. These fields are identified with a down pointing arrow at their right end. You can depress the cntl-X key (Control and X at the same time) to activate the pop-up. You can make a selection and either confirm it with the ENTER key or TAB your way to the Quit button.

Press the function key F3 to escape from any dialog.

4.2 Other key bindings

Here are other key bindings used in Linuxconf. They are also useful elsewhere notably when using the shell. Note that the normal "PC modern" keypad is supported (Home, End, PgDp, PgDn. Del, BkSp).

• ctrl-A : Go to the beginning of the line.
• ctrl-B : Move one character to the left
• ctrl-D : Delete the current character by sliding the end of the line over it.
• ctrl-E : Go to the end of the line.
• ctrl-F : Move one character to the right
• ctrl-K : Delete text up to the end of the line.

4.3 The textarea widget

The textarea widget is special as it spans several lines. Further it may be used to edit text larger than the display. Key usage for text editor are a little incompatible with the key bindings for normal text mode dialogs. Using a text editor, one will happily use TAB, DOWN, UP, PAGE DOWN, PAGE UP and so on. Those keys are currently used for field to field navigation.

Graphical interface normally reserve the TAB key to jump from one field to the other. Linuxconf uses the TAB key in text mode to jump from the dialog area to the button area. Using the GUI strategy would not work very well: Having to "tab" your way to the "Accept" button of a 20 lines dialog is simply unacceptable. Oddly the GUI standard is not acceptable either, but the mouse is saving the day here.

The textarea widget in text mode is somewhat modal. In field mode the normal behavior or field navigation keys (TAB, DOWN, UP, ...) is preserved. You must enter a white space on the field to trigger the edit mode. While in edit mode, all field navigation keys behave as one expect in a text editor. Hitting escape twice will bring you back to field navigation mode.

Here are some key bindings specific to the textarea edit mode. They can be used along normal key binding and are especially useful when the terminal emulation you are using is ineffective (like some broken telnet software).

• ctrl-P: Move one line up. Like the UP arrow.
• ctrl-N: Move one line down. Like the DOWN arrow.
• ctrl-K: Erase from the cursor to the end of the line. The erased text is preserved in the yank buffer.
• ctrl-Y: Insert the yank buffer at the current position.