bash backspace not working

3004 Nov 4 2000. within an xterm, I have to type ctrl-backspace to get the backspace to work, if I just type the backspace on it's own it just prints ^H characters. What Is the Difference Between 'Man' And 'Son of Man' in Num 23:19? Luckily, the problem is rather easy to fix. How to make the prompt beep with every key press/character printed? Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? ether@jolteon MSYS /w One of the easiest ways to fix this problem is to type /bin/bash at the command line interface prompt: $ /bin/bash The afore mentioned command will execute the Bourne Again Shell on top of the existing shell as a subprocess. What sort of keyboard do you have? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Added on Nov 4 2000. It's like the shell reads the keys correctly but not able to re-render the input line correctly. Browse other questions tagged. You should see something like: My understanding is that the shell handles stdin buffering, so shouldn't the backspace-handling be the same for both the shell and an app? Following change made it work, Found this at the following line in your .startup.tty file: stty erase "^H". Thanks! Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Already on GitHub? Sign in Did you ever resolve this? Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? The -a flag will give a human-readable output of the control characters. If there are any new updates, Windows 10 / 11 will be installing them. How do I tell if a file does not exist in Bash? Here is a patch I wrote which solves this issue, which was applied to 0.16.4 source but it should work on newer source with little tuning, let me know if you have problems. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I have this issue as well. In my case backspace was not at all working after creating blank ~/.vimrc. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. export TERM=xterm will set the emulator to xterm. If the backspace was working okay initially and no longer is then try using the "reset" command. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Well, in reality, this is not the reason. Cygwin Terminal backspace and arrow keys not working. host was set to rxvt-unicode-256color. This seems to happen with arrows and backspace. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. @Rachel Thanks, though I found out that my problem was that the Cygwin install missed some important files (like /usr/lib/terminfo). Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. For Working Professionals. @Alexpux, what's wrong with _FORTIFY_SOURCE=2? Now that you've sorted out the Backspace key issue in the Linux terminal, you can really get to work. In the remote host, run #stty erase ^H . How do you ensure that a red herring doesn't violate Chekhov's gun? Share Improve this answer Follow answered Apr 11, 2015 at 10:06 Kunal Kapadia 151 1 1 Add a comment 4 @Cyrus My Backspace works as I want it deletes last character always, even for this script from question without. How can this new ban on drag possibly be considered constitutional? 1518273 Jan 19 2014 edited Jan 19 2014. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. 6,402, 678 Maybe key mapping. I solved the problem by using ash.exe and run pacman -Syu bash in it. rev2023.3.3.43278. Ctrl Z now works. The update for bash to version 4.4.019-1 fixed the shell history in mintty's terminal mode xterm-256color for me. I cant reproduce issue on my computer. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Assuming ncurses 6.1 may break binary compatibility, it would need a rebuild of all packages which use ncurses. He has been using Linux regularly in some form since 2006. In the terminal, press Ctrl + v and press your backspace. You should be able to configure what exactly is sent when pressing the Backspace key in your terminal emulator's settings. 2) Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Try this and see if the Backspace key works correctly. Type CTRL-h instead of using backspace. http://linux-journal.blogspot.com/2005/04/fix-vim-backspace-doesnt-work.html, http://lifepluslinux.blogspot.in/2014/08/backspace-doesnt-work-in-vim-on-cygwin.html, How Intuit democratizes AI development across teams through reusability. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. I used # stty -icanon to disable the 4k limit, but lost the ability to use backspace (erase). Why backspace key is not working? My backspace did nothing, when it should have sent a destructive delete. To do this: Press Windows logo key + R on your. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I know it is strange. Continue with Recommended Cookies. pacman -U /var/cache/pacman/pkg/ncurses-6.0.20170708-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz. bash terminal: can the find and make duplicate text be extended globally--Apple? when in a cygwin, how can I display the windows folder where cygwin is installed? I tried vt100. Best Terminal for cygwin. Styling contours by colour and by line thickness in QGIS. Today I ran pacman -Syu which upgraded the following packages (from the end of /var/log/pacman.log): After this update the arrow keys and backspace don't work correctly at the shell input line, in a weird way. I do not know if this case matches every one. Where does this (supposedly) Gibson quote come from? Now, if you still use VI, sometimes the translation doesn't work and you have to actually type ^H in vi, but that's OK. and it literally would have translated 'k' into the erase/delete character.. If your Backspace key is not working in the current console, you may try the following ways to work around it: Ctrl + Backspace Ctrl + H Ctrl + ? I usually use this to fix any funky character output in my terminal. I did nothing special. $ echo $TERM You need remove -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 from CPPFLAGS in makepkg.conf file. They might say something like "I love Linux system mangling^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hadministration.". Right-click anywhere in the Cygwin window, Mitty version = 1.2-beta1 (x86_64-pc-cygwin). Ask Ubuntu is a question and answer site for Ubuntu users and developers. I noticed few missing files in msys2 filesystem package like the one that autoregenerates fstab, what was the reason this one was removed ? Logged in to "-bash", not to "bash". How to check if a string contains a substring in Bash. Trying to delete characters in insert mode with the backspace key sometimes doesn't seem to work. Reboot your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not. It works in other packages though so id say this is something that needs to be looked at upstream by the ncurses devs. [broken rendering] There are several different ways to set your backspace key when this happens. Solved: using "tab", "backspace" and "arrow" keys. Pressing the Backspace key, depending on how the key is defined, may either perform a destructive backspace (deleting the character to the left of the cursor while moving the cursor to the left) or move the cursor to the beginning of the line. Do I need a thermal expansion tank if I already have a pressure tank? I agree with all the answers here. So, I'm new to VS code just installed it and I'm having an issue. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. It feels like a kludge but it works. Make sure you replace foo with exactly what follows the ^ [. In the right panel, you will see the Onscreen Keyboard option. Readers like you help support MUO. I have tried all 5 options but none of them fixed the issue. Even am stuck on the same issue and from minty also backspace functionality is not working. @SomeCallMeTim: I was able to fix this issue by using Minty, cygwin behaves in very wierd manner at times. Click the Options button and enable the Control + Alt + Backspace check box under Key sequence to kill the X server. So guess it might need some patches to get around this. Why do many companies reject expired SSL certificates as bugs in bug bounties? Beside "stty" solution, you may try the "TERM" solution. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. At times, your keyboard is greatly influenced by these keys. Thanks. rev2023.3.3.43278. Did you know that windows 7, 8, and 10 can troubleshoot your keyboard? Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use. Up/down/left/right arrows while in less (/usr/bin/less) does seem to work correctly. when you hit the "backspace" key. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? I tried googling but didn't find what I was looking for! Disconnect between goals and daily tasksIs it me, or the industry? @Alexpux any plans to downgrade ncurses soon? Disconnect between goals and daily tasksIs it me, or the industry? How do I align things in the following tabular environment? Why are Suriname, Belize, and Guinea-Bissau classified as "Small Island Developing States"? And what the value of TERM you have tried? I suspect I have to change a key translation table somewhere. Verify that the remote host shell TERM setting matches your terminal's term setting (localhost) and that the remote host supports the TERM setting. There are also some distros that will run in . Thus, it is wise to use a tool such as Windows Defender or Malwarebytes for detecting malware intrusion. Ive seen a few people struggling with using the backspace key in Outlook (Exchange and Outlook.com). Whether youre using a laptop or a PC computer, its quite annoying to have your key fail to work. On Windows 10 (Fall Creators Update) both TERMs don't produce this error (at least for me). How to follow the signal when reading the schematic? Confirm it fixes the crash for me, thanks. The Backspace key isn't something you normally think about too much, but sometimes you might find it doesn't work correctly in the terminal, especially when logged in to a remote machine, echoing "^H" instead of erasing what you've typed. If you have checked your keyboard and it is physically good, have checked and updated the keyboard drivers, and have detected no malware attack, it is time to update Windows 10 / 11 if the Backspace key is still not working. I can confirm the error. Similar to the Backspace key, you can fix the issue using the stty command if Tab doesn't work in the terminal. If the Backspace key on the virtual keyboard is not working, it indicates that you need to update the keyboard driver or get rid of the windows 10 system error, if any. Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow! To do this, put. I get space when i hit backspace on both minty terminal as well as cygwin terminal, @Rachel Did you ever resolve this? `Why doesn't the Backspace key generate BackSpace by default?' (i) Because the VT100 had a Delete key above the Enter key. Replacing broken pins/legs on a DIP IC package. Assuming you're using gnome-terminal as emulator, open the Edit manu and click on Profile preferences. It should delete the highlighted part of the text. How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? It's definitely a problem of tcsh since in any other application the backspace works fine. Thank you for the information. David has been able to combine his passion for computing and writing in his career as a freelance writer. How to match a specific column position till the end of line? Most of us are aware of the on-screen keyboard or the virtual keyboard that Windows operating system provides. Never even though to look at my login shell! To avoid this, use VT100.backarrowKey: false instead, so: (see also https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xterm#Fix_the_backspace_key). The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Since I installed a newer version I got a problem: The delete as well as the backspace key work both like delete in tcsh's in xterms under X11R6. That link lacks info, but void linux appears to have had a similar issue: https://forum.voidlinux.eu/t/solved-problems-after-todays-update/4553 . Most application will expect that you already have the emulator set to something compatible such as xterm or linux. http://lifepluslinux.blogspot.in/2014/08/backspace-doesnt-work-in-vim-on-cygwin.html, This will add it to the .bash_profile (not .bashrc, which didn't work for me, and with a leading line break), After spending 2 days of time reading stuff online. rev2023.3.3.43278. This answer is specific to running is a Docker container and will not help in the OP's environment. ether@jolteon MSYS /w In my case, I had to switch from xterm-256color to xterm-88color and it is far better than other options. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? Please note 16.10 reached the end of its support cycle last month. Add a comment. Browse other questions tagged, Where developers & technologists share private knowledge with coworkers, Reach developers & technologists worldwide, Enter the following in terminal and check what happens: export TERM=xterm. You can check if there are any mappings set, and where they came from, like this: The virtual keyboard works as the physical one and is likely to aid you in finding out why is the backspace not working on Windows 10. vim set backspace backspace= backspace .vimrc set backspace=2 3 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible) 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol" 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start" cp /usr/share/vim/vimrc ~/.vimrc set backspace=indent,eol,start (ii) Because Linus decided so. I start my mintty session with xterm-256color, and I can reproduce the backspace problem as stated. Simply, plug in another functional keyboard to your existing laptop or PC and see whether its Backspace key is working or not. TERM variable in source If you preorder a special airline meal (e.g. If it says "^H," then it uses the older Backspace character. 31.3k 9 80 107. Following are the steps for disabling these keys on Windows 10/11: Heres a video that will guide you step-by-step: This is another easy solution to try and find where the problem lies. Simply run Cygwin setup again and reinstall termcap and terminfo. I had exactly this. Also check if the Fn key on the keyboard is not locked. Okay, yeah, I didn't know of this issue. I think your TERM was set to something incompatible. (2022 Edition), Can You Use Zoom on Firestick? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Now it does the 'usual' backspace. (NOT fixed after rebuilding bash): bash aborts after setting TERM to some dummy name, e.g. Look for the "erase" character. What I don't understand though is why my shell handles backspace as expected, but reading from stdin in my app does not. Not working means when I tap the backspace it prints a white space in the terminal. This is the only thing that worked for me, especially since if you have to SSH to a server (not all fixes will work) I used to add stty erase ^? Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. See some explanation here https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/131105/how-to-read-over-4k-input-without-new-lines-on-a-terminal. And when I press Ctrl + backspace the output is ^H. Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. E.g. If it is set to "^C" or "^\" it is your problem. When I enter TERM=xterm, the problem disappears, even after I set TERM=xterm-256color again. Switch to the Compatibility tab and you should get these options: Now you can change the Backspace key generates: setting. I tried ssh from cygwin (in windows) to Debian. I tried the following with and without a ~/.bashrc file: Pressing few chars and then a backspace seems to print a space. So I'm stuck having to manually type stty erase [whatever] to fix it when I notice the backspace key is wrong. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Getting Delete and Backspace to work just right is nontrivial, especially in a mixed environment, where you talk to console, to X, to bash, to emacs, login remotely, etc. (7 Things That Will Help You! Improve this answer. Once I copied the "cygwin" file to this location, the bash shell backspace key worked fine, as did tab and others. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. not provide terminfo file for that terminal I copied rxvt-unicode-256color (Only after rebuilding bash): bash aborts after setting TERM to some dummy name, e.g. What video game is Charlie playing in Poker Face S01E07? 32 related questions found. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. But it worked like a charm to me thanks to Yuksel, The problem was with 'termInfo' files, Steps he have suggested, confirm if the problem is terminal related by typing in CygWin Terminal, this should give (ignore the warning), WARNING: terminal is not fully functional, Get the information of 'TermCap' to which path or directory it is related to by typing below code in CygWin Terminal, infocmp: couldn't open terminfo file /usr/share/terminfo/63/cygwin, Or you might also get something starting with text like 'Reconstructed via infocmp', Run the below code in CygWin Terminal to run the diagnostics to get extra details about the path where the files are saved, that should respond you similar to below text, C:/cygwin / system binary,noacl, C:/cygwin/bin /usr/bin system binary,noacl, C:/cygwin/lib /usr/lib system binary,noacl, C:\cygwin\etc\terminfo /usr/share/terminfo system binary,noacl, cygdrive prefix /cygdrive user binary, noacl, posix=0, auto, from the output, you got from the 3rd step.