Re: key to yank text at point into minibuffer?

[Miles Bader]

On 2/27/06, Drew Adams <address@hidden> wrote:
>     Because there are many common C-M- ... bindings in Emacs and my
>     fingers are very used to hitting C-M- (whereas C-S- bindings are very
>     rare), when I decided to try this new binding, I reflexively hit
>     C-M-bs by mistake ... and C-M-bs is a special key-sequence that _kills
>     the X server_!  Ouch!!
>
> Sounds like maybe `C-M-bs' is the dangerous binding. Why would such a
> command be bound to a key at all? Or are you perhaps referring not to an
> Emacs key binding but to something that Emacs never sees, as in Control +
> Alt + Delete on Windows?

Yes, it is "bound" by the X-server.  I agree that it is an unfortunate
binding (though I've found it very useful on a few odd occasions), but
it's been like that since approximately the beginning of time, so
basically isn't going to change anytime soon.

> BTW, how do you type `C-M-bs'? Is `bs' here <backspace>? When I try Control
> + Meta + the Backspace key in emacs -q on Windows, at least, it says
> "undefined".

I hit the "control", the "meta" (actually labelled alt, but mapped to
meta by the X-server), and the "backspace" (by "bs" I meant
"<backspace>") keys simultaneously.  [On my keyboard, the physical key
is actually labelled "Delete", and generates an ascii DEL character,
but apparently in some contexts (with modifier key?) it is interpreted
to mean backspace.]

> FWIW, in my own customization, I have `C-M-DEL' (Backspace) bound globally
> (all modes) to `backward-kill-sexp'.

Heh; since meta is commonly mapped to "Alt", that one sound
potentially awkward as well... C-Alt-Del   :-)

-Miles
--
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.