Re: Reconfiguring key bindings

[Peter Masiar <peter masiar yale edu>]

First my background: I used Norton Commander long time ago on MS DOS,
now I am new in Linux, and I like MC as excellent visual tool
to make Linux accesible to lazy Win user like me... 8^)

I understand that changing meaning for a TAB from switching panels 
(as MC does for ages), to completion (like bash does for ages),
is very big deal for many old MC users.

But for many new users, bash meaning of TAB is something they do
without thinking, I assume (I am not there yet). TAB completion is 
one of the best Linux features I found - it even works for command names!
(OK, do not laugh at me. I just found it - and liked it a lot!)

Sometimes I dare to work directly from Linux command line, or
with both panel hidden, and then TAB completion works on plain tab.

I understand that switching panels is also often-used function,
and need be easy to access. But TAB completion is so quick, so nice!
I am divided.

Will it be possible just for the sake of the TAB completion, 
and with special settings, to have plain TAB for completion, 
and to switch panels using something else?
Like Alt-TAB? I am willing to sacrifice even F7 (as the least often used
F-key, IMHO) so it could be on displayed the screen, 
like 'Xpanel' - change panels.

I access Linux server only via SSH, and my termcap database is wrong,
and I need to hit ESC-TAB *twice* to autocomplete: 4 keystrokes.
It's really pain and show-stopper for one of our experienced
Linux user. He liked MC, but he told me he will keep his TAB as is in bash.

I guess there might be many potential MC users which are turned off
by lack of TAB completion - and MC developers will never found it, 
because MC non-users (refuseniks) will never bother to complain - 
they will just forget about MC.

I know this is pain, and then also documentations needs be changed...
Maybe instead of changing all docs, we can create special customization
pages for power users, documenting differences only.

I support you, Pavel, on not allowing too flexible key binding.
But maybe for such a cool feature, like TAB completion, personal 
exception coud be granted? 8^)

-- 
Peter Masiar, peter masiar yale edu, (203) 764-8131

Quick overview of MC Commands (it's a wiki, you can contribute, too): 
http://twiki.med.yale.edu/twiki/bin/view/Tools/MidnightCommanderShortcuts

Yale Center for Medical Informatics (YCMI), http://ycmi.med.yale.edu
I am not a lawyer. My ideas are NOT binding for University.
In doubt, Yale policy right: http://www.yale.edu/policy/itaup.html 


Quoting Niklas Höglund <su99-nho nada kth se>:

> On Mon, Mar 10, 2003 at 02:52:44AM -0500, Pavel Roskin wrote:
> > Hello!
> >
> > > I've looked in the manual, and in the FAQ, but I can't find how to
> > > change the key bindings of mc (version 4.6.0). What I want is to be
> > > able to use tab completion in the command line with tab, as my fingers
> > > do that automatically.
> >
> > Sorry, the only way to do it is to redefine Tab as M-Tab in "Learn Keys",
> > but then Tab will stop working in dialogs.
>
> There's no Tab in Learn Keys, only M-Tab, and I'm not allowed to
> redefine it as Tab.  ("Cannot accept this key.  You have entered '^i'.")
> So I guess I'll have to learn the keys used in mc or change the source.
>
> > I'm adding this to the mc FAQ:
> >
> > 2.8 How do I change the key bindings?
> >
> >    There is no generic way to reconfigure the key bindings.  You can use
> >    the "Learn Keys" dialog to assign keys to some actions listed in that
> >    dialog.  However, most actions cannot be redefined to use different
> >    keys.
>
> What would be nice is if it would be possible to change any key in this
> dialog.
>
> -- 
>                                                 Niklas