.\" @(#)setmetamode.1 1.0 940130 aeb

.TH SETMETAMODE 1 "30 Jan 1994"

.SH NAME

setmetamode \- define the keyboard meta key handling

.SH SYNOPSIS

.B setmetamode

[

.I {meta|bit|metabit | esc|prefix|escprefix}

]

.SH DESCRIPTION

.IX "setmetamode command" "" "\fLsetmetamode\fR command"  

.LP

Without argument,

.B setmetamode

prints the current Meta key mode.

With argument, it sets the Meta key mode as indicated.

The setting before and after the change are reported.

.LP

The Meta key mode is specific for each VT (and the VT

corresponding to stdin is used).

One might use

.B setmetamode

in /etc/rc to define the initial state of the Meta key mode,

e.g. by

.br

.in +5m

INITTY=/dev/tty[1-8]

.br

for tty in $INITTY; do

.br

.in +5m

setmetamode escprefix < $tty

.br

.in -5m

done

.in -5m

.SH OPTIONS

.TP

esc prefix escprefix

The Meta key sends an Escape prefix.

.TP

meta bit metabit

The Meta key sets the high order bit of the character.

.SH "SEE ALSO"

.BR loadkeys (1)