Re: Zsh changes on Ubuntu

[Frank Terbeck <ft@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thorsten Kampe wrote:
> * Frank Terbeck (Sat, 17 May 2014 12:29:58 +0200)
>> Since ubuntu is debian's downstream, I'm pretty sure this may be tied to
>> a change in debian's global zshrc: In pre-5.x packages, debian used a
>> rather broken approach trying to read escape sequences for special keys
>> from the terminfo database.
>> 
>> Starting with the package for 5.0.0 and onward¹, that was fixed by
>> setting the terminal zsh is running in into the correct mode for the
>> values from terminfo to be applicable while zsh's line editor (ZLE) is
>> running. This was done to make the setup work across as many different
>> terminals as possible.
[...]
> "export DEBIAN_PREVENT_KEYBOARD_CHANGES=yes" in .zshenv did the 
> trick.

No need to export the parameter. No external process will need it, and
zshenv is read for every zsh-instance, that also reads zshrc.

Generally, I wouldn't advice people to set the parameter. Setting the
terminal into "keyboard-transmit-mode" (which is what the smkx terminfo
entry does) while the line editor is active is the right thing to do,
IMNSHO. Otherwise, you can't rely on values from $terminfo to be
correct. The parameter is really meant for people who know what they are
doing.

I'm just mentioning this for the innocent lurker, who might be wondering
what we're on about. I don't know of your background and you might
indeed know what you're doing. This is not meant to be offensive.

Regards, Frank