Re: Update on keyboard problem with Xy3 under OS/2

[Carl Distefano CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx]

Reply to note from scarter@xxxxxxxx (Stephen A. Carter) Mon, 11 Jan
1999 09:39:41 +0900

-> Stopping the RC5-DES client running in the background
-> eliminated all problems. And now that the problems seem to be
-> solved, as far as I can tell there's no real need to try
-> renaming the keys again.

FWIW, I've been running RC5DES continuously since its inception and
never experienced the shifted-key problem under OS/2 until I
installed FixPak 6. I was running RC5DES before and after the FP
installation, so I certainly couldn't attribute the problem to
RC5DES alone. One thing *was* clear, though: renaming the shifted
keys in the .KBD file solved it, once and for all. (I'm running Xy
v4.017.)

When you say reinstating your original .KBD file restored things
from "worse to bad", do you mean that the "spectacular errors"
(random blocks of defined text, etc., etc.) stopped, and all that
remained was the original OS/2-related problem of certain shifted-
key combinations not taking effect? Or did these screen anomalies
persist until you removed RC5DES? Conversely, did the OS/2 shifted-
key problem reappear *before* you restored your original .KBD file,
or did it stay "fixed" until the other anomalies prompted you to
undo the .KBD file changes?

A red flag goes up when you say, "Renaming the defined keys in the
*.kbd file worked at first...". What happened in the interim? Any
other changes to: .KBD file? another Xy customization file? OS/2
(did you apply any fixpaks? "upgrade" any drivers? install any new
software?)? hardware? The point is, a hundred and one things other
than your .KBD file could have caused those on-screen anomalies.
What's more, the practice of renaming the shifted keys isn't new.
People have been doing it successfully for years. As far as XyWrite
is concerned, you can name keys after your kids, your pets or your
patron saint; whatever the name, it's a perfectly "legal" operation.
Certainly no one on this list has ever reported seeing the kind of
fireworks you describe as a result of doing it.

-> And now that the problems seem to be solved, as far as I can
-> tell there's no real need to try renaming the keys again. I'm
-> willing to entertain suggestions to the contrary,

If your Xy keyboard performs as expected, then leave things the way
they are. However, if some keys don't work (and prepending NI to
the key assignment doesn't fix 'em), then I'd say, rename the
shifted keys without fear that these other problems will reappear.
Because -- subject to your answers to the second and third
paragraphs above -- I don't think that renaming those keys caused
them in the first place!

--------------
Carl Distefano
CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx
http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/