| Summary: | Implement fixterms | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product: | [Applications] konsole | Reporter: | ariasuni <aria> |
| Component: | keyboard | Assignee: | Konsole Developer <konsole-devel> |
| Status: | REPORTED --- | ||
| Severity: | normal | CC: | unxed |
| Priority: | NOR | ||
| Version: | master | ||
| Target Milestone: | --- | ||
| Platform: | Other | ||
| OS: | Linux | ||
| Latest Commit: | Version Fixed In: | ||
| Sentry Crash Report: | |||
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Description
ariasuni
2021-04-20 20:48:58 UTC
Sorry I hit enter too early, I meant: Kitty implemented in *2021* a slightly different *version* who apparently fixes some problems with fixterms. Also see this comment about the «state of the art» of terminals: https://github.com/mawww/kakoune/issues/2554#issuecomment-436300959 There are also at least three other protocols for "raw keyboard" input in terminals. iTerm2 protocol https://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/-/issues/7440#note_129307021 Windows Terminal's "win32-input-mode" https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/pull/6309 far2l terminal extensions https://github.com/elfmz/far2l/blob/master/WinPort/FarTTY.h The only one of them that already have some support in apps is far2l's one (apps supporting it are "turbo" text editor, "putty4far2l" putty fork, cyd01's "KiTTY"). It is tied to Windows keyboard codes, but translation from x11 codes is easy: https://github.com/unxed/xkb2win/ I feel it's important to explain why the kitty keyboard protocol is truly essential. I'm one of the developers of far2l—a port of the Far Manager file manager to Linux. Since this program was originally developed for the Windows console, it heavily utilizes its advantages, particularly the ability to use any key combinations. When migrating from Windows to Linux, users look for a familiar UX; they need their favorite applications, not a new operating system. If we tell them "learn 100 new keyboard shortcuts," they're more likely to stay on Windows than listen to us. Is it really acceptable that *nix console capabilities in the 21st century are still inferior to those of the ancient Windows 2000 console? This situation needs improvement. In the far2l project, we came up with a hack that solves the problem under X11: we simply connect to X11 and listen to all keyboard input. This allows us to "refine" the key press information coming into the terminal, "deciphering" what the user actually pressed. A terrible, horribly dirty hack (but it works!)—but better than depriving the user of familiar functionality. However, with the widespread transition to Wayland, this hack stops working. What do you think users will do, give up their familiar keyboard shortcuts—or stay on X11? This is precisely why we need the ability to use any keyboard shortcut in console applications. Not the day after tomorrow, not tomorrow. We needed it yesterday. Of all the available solutions (far2l terminal extensions, iTerm2 raw keyboard protocol, win32-input-mode, and kitty keyboard protocol), the kitty protocol is the most suitable for UNIX-like operating systems. It's designed with backward compatibility in mind, and adapting terminals to support it is straightforward. Look at this code example. This is a reference implementation of basic kitty protocol support that I made as an example for Windows Terminal developers. It's only 196 lines of code: https://gist.github.com/unxed/d979fe069039fe075c18eb0218b1f8f5 I hope you will consider these arguments, and together we can bring the console capabilities of UNIX-like operating systems up to par with what the Windows 2000 console offered 24 years ago. I'll be happy to answer any questions if anyone takes this on. Thank you in advance! |