bash backspace not working bash backspace not working

My backspace did nothing, when it should have sent a destructive delete. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. vegan) just to try it, does this inconvenience the caterers and staff? Just log in to the machine and type "stty erase " (note the space after "erase") and then hit the backspace key. rev2023.3.3.43278. ), 17 Best Makeshift Mousepads And Alternatives (2022 Update). This is how to fix backspace not working in Word: There are no settings in Excel that would block the backspace key so if you have tried all the 8 fixes mentioned above chances are that its just a software issue. Slow Requests on Local Flask Server; Automatically setting the id HTML attribute of a form element in flask-wtforms; Docker-compose flask app not printing output from 'print' Crtl C and V worked, Ctrl-Z did not, Z worked. I am using urxvt and on arch you need to install rxvt-unicode-terminfo to fix this particular issue, My backspace character is some special symbol something like an inverted triangle. 5 comments. for Backspace. You should see something like: So tmux communicated to the remote host properly but we have backspace or some other matching key issue. Changing `TERM` (e.g. (Note: use Ctrl v + Backspace, do not type the ^ manually) You can fix the Tab issue with the same as above. This solution is likely to work for most users. When it comes to why my Backspace is not working in Chrome, MS Word, or Windows 10 / 11; it is required to troubleshoot the issue by scanning the related hardware as well as software. I start my mintty session with xterm-256color, and I can reproduce the backspace problem as stated. 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. Backspace Not Working on VS Code's Bash Terminal Thanks for contributing an answer to Ask Ubuntu! I have this issue as well. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. (Yes! ctrl-v and then right arrow prints ^[[C but the shell doesn't seem to re-render the line correctly when used without it. You can set the erase character to the one your computer uses with this simple command: Try this and see if the Backspace key works correctly. If the read command sees the end of file marker (EOF) before the line is terminated by a newline, it will not treat it as a successful read. Verify that the remote host shell TERM setting matches your terminal's term setting (localhost) and that the remote host supports the TERM setting. Also check if the Fn key on the keyboard is not locked. How to check if a string contains a substring in Bash. This may be unintentional; Vim sees CTRL-H as a backspace (because CTRL-H is the ASCII code for a backspace), so you also cannot map anything to that. Backspace via ssh not working | Take Command How to backspace in vim? Explained by FAQ Blog in my .bashrc file, and use some other terminal to access the server, it often ends up wrong. I'm not planning downgrade ncurses. Whether it is hardware or software. Looks like the remote host does not support tmux-256color, the TERM value sent by tmux. Using indicator constraint with two variables. What sort of keyboard do you have? Rebuild bash can fix the problem. 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. They might say something like "I love Linux system mangling^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hadministration.". . with stty erase ^H or stty erase ^? 4 Ways to Recover From a Crashed or Frozen X Server on Linux I think your TERM was set to something incompatible. TERM variable in source But the terminal does seem to interpret \b (backspace) and \e[D (move one column left) correctly. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Bash, how to globally fix ^H and ^? backspace problems Backspace and Tab keys might not work properly when you're logged in remotely to a Linux system. I just rebuilt bash from current msys2-packages and installed it and the issue seems gone. This is the solution to try if the Backspace key of the on-screen keyboard does not function. :(. This page has all the information you will ever need on this issue; I suggest you read it. All keys seems work correctly for me. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. It is wise to try easy and basic solutions first. And when I press Ctrl + backspace the output is ^H. Did you ever resolve this? Our journey has still to come to an end. If your keyboard's Backspace key doesn't work properly on a UITS - IU You should be able to configure what exactly is sent when pressing the Backspace key in your terminal emulator's settings. If there are any new updates, Windows 10 / 11 will be installing them. Lets check which terminals the remote host supports. and sometimes it thinks it is ^H, and happens to be incorrect and outputs the wrong character when I press backspace. The easiest way (which did not work everytime while testing) is to simply reinstall terminfo and termcap via setup.exe, as mentioned here: Backspace does not work in Cygwin. Rather than dig through all of that you can manually set the backspace definition at the CLI or in your .profile, .bashrc, or .bash-profile file in your $HOME directory as you desire or based on the flavor of *NIX you are using. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. 1) I am not able to use "tab key" for auto completion of the command. It should delete the highlighted part of the text. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? One correction to the information, is of their suggestion (for XTerm): While this will get XTerm to send the right character, and change stty to have backspace as ^?, it will still erroniously report ^H as backspace under some occasions, breaking i.e. The nature of simulating nature: A Q&A with IBM Quantum researcher Dr. Jamie We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, backspace not working, even after attempted fix, pkg-config on cygwin will not find the gsl package. i newer had any problem with it so im curious. Arrow keys and backspace not working in bash after recent update, ignore package upgrades for certain packages, https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/57300?project=1&string=ncurses, [MSYS2] Term=xterm-256color does not support backspace and command history correctly, (cosmetic) xterm-256color is unreliable when using MinGW manually, https://forum.voidlinux.eu/t/solved-problems-after-todays-update/4553, ncurses: Fix double-free and prevent crash, Arrow keys broken in msys2 bash programs after installing Terminal, (fixed after rebuilding bash): editing keys don't work in CLI in bash with. How is an ETF fee calculated in a trade that ends in less than a year? I can backspace sometimes, but at other times it does nothing; the cursor doesn't go to the left, and absolutely nothing seems to happen.. 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.. Additionally, the release notes say: hese notes are for ncurses 6.1, released January 27, 2018. US, UK etc. A journalist by training, he discovered the power of Unix-like operating systems and the command-line interface while learning how to edit video on macOS. The Linux keyboard and console HOWTO: Delete and Backspace This will add it to the .bashrc and everything may work nicely! The Backspace key is a popular shortcut in Chrome. Then click Uninstall device. Most systems will recognize the latter as Backspace these days as physical terminals have largely been replaced by terminal emulators on PCs, but you may still run into systems that haven't been upgraded and still expect "Ctrl + H.", This is one reason you'll see old Unix hands jokingly use "^H" in messages in the same way people use ironic strikethroughs to indicate "Oops, you weren't supposed to see that!" By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. If the issue is only with the Backspace key, you can try and disable the filter or sticky keys. ether@jolteon MSYS /w Beside "stty" solution, you may try the "TERM" solution. Look around putty's options menu for a "send hard reset" option as well. 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. If the backspace was working okay initially and no longer is then try using the "reset" command. vegan) just to try it, does this inconvenience the caterers and staff? You'll see what code is sent as "erase". rev2023.3.3.43278. Click the Options button and enable the Control + Alt + Backspace check box under Key sequence to kill the X server. to `ansi`) seems to fix everything, but it's weirder than that: Simply, plug in another functional keyboard to your existing laptop or PC and see whether its Backspace key is working or not. I agree with all the answers here. |TERM=blahblah| . Assuming you're using gnome-terminal as emulator, open the Edit manu and click on Profile preferences. If the key works, it means that your physical keyboard is somewhat damaged or broken. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? For Working Professionals. Here's how you can easily remediate this issue. Now that you've sorted out the Backspace key issue in the Linux terminal, you can really get to work. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? If I set it to ^H or ^? I get space when i hit backspace on both minty terminal as well as cygwin terminal, @Rachel Did you ever resolve this? Following change made it work, Found this at Well occasionally send you account related emails. How do I align things in the following tabular environment? I did nothing special. After connecting from Fedora to an OpenWrt host with ssh the remote bash There are also some distros that will run in . Spacebar, Enter, or Backspace Not Working Method 1: Turn off Sticky Keys and Filter Keys In Windows 10, there are two functions - Sticky Keys and Filter Keys. linux - Backspace, Tab not working in terminal (using ssh) - Unix The reason the keys (generally) do not work out-of-the-box is partly lack of configuration (as you will see later, simply creating .inputrc/.cshrc already helps a lot) and a more difficult issue which I will try to describe below.. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. Clearly this is a regression in or triggered by ncurses 6.1; the changelog mentions some changes to xterm-256color. Unix & Linux Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for users of Linux, FreeBSD and other Un*x-like operating systems. Never even though to look at my login shell! Use the following command in SQL*PLUS : !stty erase <backspace> but instead of the <backspace> statement, simply press the backspace button and hit return with what it gives you. Either the last space will get erased (backspace functioning correctly, delete. [rendering fine] Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines. Well, the operating system comes with an integrated keyboard troubleshooter. How to have bash write two bash history files without changing bash source code? How can I check if a program exists from a Bash script? How can I explain to my manager that a project he wishes to undertake cannot be performed by the team? oracle - How to erase in sqlplus with backspace? - Database Something tells me we should hold off on this version untill it becomes more stable. Then I set my TERM to xterm-256color which caused the issue to appear; downgrading ncurses to 6.0 fixes the issue. What video game is Charlie playing in Poker Face S01E07? Re: del and backspace no longer work. Welcome to Unix & Linux! David is a freelance writer based in the Pacific Northwest, but originally hailing from the Bay Area. Note that Docker is not mentioned by the user. Ive seen a few people struggling with using the backspace key in Outlook (Exchange and Outlook.com). Solved: using "tab", "backspace" and "arrow" keys. not provide terminfo file for that terminal I copied rxvt-unicode-256color I tried the following with and without a ~/.bashrc file: Pressing few chars and then a backspace seems to print a space. Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. On Windows 10 (Fall Creators Update) both TERMs don't produce this error (at least for me). Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. I also know of other people bumping into this issue, which, again, is quite a dealbreaker. How do I get the directory where a Bash script is located from within the script itself? What I am doing then is to type <up> to get that command line from the history and edit it, i.e. indent autoindent eol () start CTRL-W CTRL-U . When pressing the backspace key Cygwin falsly interpreted it as a space. So, I'm new to VS code just installed it and I'm having an issue. Minisforum install linux - gqqa.wikinger-turnier.de That should hopefully solve your issue! How to insert bash scripts inside the PS1 variable. What if no code at all is sent? But there is a far simpler way found here: Whether youre using a laptop or a PC computer, its quite annoying to have your key fail to work. Replacing broken pins/legs on a DIP IC package. Bash is just the most visible of those (assuming there are more packages depending on ncurses). How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. 3) Right-click on your keyboard software in the Keyboards section. Data Structure & Algorithm Classes (Live) System Design (Live) DevOps(Live) Explore More Live Courses; For Students. It's like the shell reads the keys correctly but not able to re-render the input line correctly. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? bash uses wrong character length for multi-byte characters 4. ``` I tried stty erase '^?' You can now navigate webpages in Chrome by pressing Alt + left arrow to open a previous page and Alt + right arrow to move forward. you tell athena what to expect for the backspace key. If so, how close was it? I usually use this to fix any funky character output in my terminal. Since it seemed that OpenWrt repos did Follow Up: struct sockaddr storage initialization by network format-string, Identify those arcade games from a 1983 Brazilian music video, How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. 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 put this in the shell's startup file, such as .bashrc for Bash and .zshrc for Zsh to have this set automatically when you log into the system. The nature of simulating nature: A Q&A with IBM Quantum researcher Dr. Jamie We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. This did not fix the issues.. however, it did allow me to then perform an update via the plugins manager which got me to version 0.1.11638 which resolved the backspace issue and gives the wonderful ERD. [rendering still fine] You can use set -o gmacs or set -o emacs if you want it to act like emacs, that means like bash default (you can also write set -o vi in bash so that it acts like the vi editor : ( Furthermore, with this mode, backspace is control-H 3) You can write export VISUAL=gmacs (or emacs) in your .profile and dot it again or reconnect. Most application will expect that you already have the emulator set to something compatible such as xterm or linux. Browse other questions tagged. Unix shell - View topic - tcsh: backspace doesn't work Why do many companies reject expired SSL certificates as bugs in bug bounties? Have a question about this project? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Share. I run: And I found that doesn't work. There are several different ways to set your backspace key when this happens. I'd like to fix this frequent problem where the shell on a remote server thinks my terminal's backspace key is ^? Let know if my zshrc (at the bottom) is incorrect or if there are incompatible plugins or keybinds listed. I tried googling but didn't find what I was looking for! The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. Console applications read ASCII sequences, not keysyms. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? How do I print colored text to the terminal? > > If "doesn't work" means something else (like funny characters being > printed on the screen) let me know. Does a summoned creature play immediately after being summoned by a ready action? What is the point of Thrower's Bandolier? Reboot your computer and see if the problem is fixed or not. Also the backspace key works perfectly fine on Git Bash. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Similar to the Backspace key, you can fix the issue using the stty command if Tab doesn't work in the terminal. This article aims to help you with the problem and gives you some solutions to what to do if your backspace doesnt work anymore. 7 Best MMO Keyboards for a Better Gaming Experience (2022 Guide), 5 Best 1800 Compact Keyboards (Your 2022 Guide), How To Fix Your Keyboard When Its Acting Weird? I cd to the bash dir of the msys2 packages repo and issued |makepkg --skippgpchec -sCLf| and it stopped/errored after some time with IIRC undefined type or something. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Note: if you already installed cygwin just run installer again and add xterm package. Thus, it is wise to switch off these keys when it comes to how to get the Backspace key functioning back normally. If that is not the issue: Open the Settings App Go to Update & Security - Troubleshoot Run the Keyboard troubleshooter If that does not resolve this for you Open Device Manager Expand the Keyboards section Right click your keyboard and choose 'Uninstall' Then restart your PC ___________________________________________________________________ Fix 4: Reinstall the Keyboard Driver This is the solution to try if the Backspace key of the on-screen keyboard does not function. Help! Backspace Doesn't Work in the Linux Terminal - MUO This was the reason in my case.. for that particular user. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. @Alexpux, what's wrong with _FORTIFY_SOURCE=2? And what the value of TERM you have tried? Some more background to my problem/solution: I had a problem where I need to paste more than 4k characters. The cursor keys work too since the bash 4.4.0.19-1 and still with 4.4.0.19-2 . E.g. This solved the fact that cygwin64 was ignoring backspaces in commands containing line breaks. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. EDIT2: My bad the error occurs on Windows 10 as well. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. If there is a hardware error, the problematic keyboard will work on another PC or laptop. ether@jolteon MSYS /w First, enter CTRL + V ALT + CyrChar in your shell. How can this new ban on drag possibly be considered constitutional? Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? In case it helps. If you're using the terminal to log in to remote systems, you can be even more productive with the combination of tmux and Mosh, letting you create sessions that can keep you connected forever. This one fixed it for me. You can easily fix it by going to Settings > Text and images and turning off the Use slash commands and preview emojis, mentions, and markdown syntax as you type feature. Make sure you replace foo with exactly what follows the ^ [. Turning off the filter keys will discard the risk of all probable interruptions to the keyboards overall functionality, which may fix the Backspace issue. Ctrlv + backspace produces nothing For me, the backspace code is the same as. Just updated the repo and simple `makepkg` in the bash directory. bash terminal: can the find and make duplicate text be extended globally--Apple? Once you press [ENTER] you should be able to press your [BACKSPACE] key and have it backspace/delete whatever you typed. Instead need to find why it happen. The -a flag will give a human-readable output of the control characters. How to Get Ctrl-Backspace to Delete a Word in Vim Within Gnome-Terminal David holds a B.A. fix for keyboard backspace and delete butons not working properly in How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. The nature of simulating nature: A Q&A with IBM Quantum researcher Dr. Jamie We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Announcement: AI-generated content is now permanently banned on Ask Ubuntu. rev2023.3.3.43278. pacman -U /var/cache/pacman/pkg/ncurses-6.0.20170708-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz. It's great that this answer helped some other users, but in this case it's not the solution to the question since the original question isn't asking about vim. Print some odd charachters? It's definitely a problem of tcsh since in any other application the backspace works fine. If you preorder a special airline meal (e.g. when I hit the Backspace key, I get a space. Check for the updates or try to quit and reset your Excel. Backspace and arrow keys not working in (how to fix)vi/vim editor in ubuntu 14.04 /linux mint. To do so: Now, check whether the key is working or not. Styling contours by colour and by line thickness in QGIS. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 2. It's worth noting that you aren't getting "a space": It's failing to move the cursor back to erase the character. How to Connect Two Monitors To One Computer With One VGA Port? Trying to delete characters in insert mode with the backspace key sometimes doesn't seem to work. Say it is ^H. GitHub / (fixed after rebuilding bash): editing keys don't work in CLI in bash with TERM=xterm-256color . If the above fail to work, the last resort, you may interrupt the current line to start it over in the new line. Well, in reality, this is not the reason. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? ether@jolteon MSYS /w 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. Already on GitHub? However, after an update, you may have noticed that the shortcut does not work anymore. Do I need a thermal expansion tank if I already have a pressure tank? If you hit the "BACKSPACE" key and it does not go backward it's because the terminal is probably looking for a different character based on the TERM type. I'd highly recommend getting Partition Magic to "sqeeze" your existing Windows partition down in preparation for this process, though. I found this one that worked for me. backspace does not work on my ssh client - Server Fault Can Martian regolith be easily melted with microwaves? Assuming ncurses 6.1 may break binary compatibility, it would need a rebuild of all packages which use ncurses. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? If you can't get that to work and most everything works properly except the backspace, you can reprogram "getty" on the host you connect to to recognize what you want, and here's how (this is the oldest, most common and most universal way of solving backspace/delete issues): You ssh or telnet to your host and in the host you run the stty command. to my .bashrc but this only fixed the issue 80% of the time. If it was never working then try what tylerl suggested. Disconnect between goals and daily tasksIs it me, or the industry? Do I need a thermal expansion tank if I already have a pressure tank? Thanks for pointing out the shortcomings of my previous answer. The user's problem with the terminal in a remote machine and the problem I faced in a docker container may be caused by the same issue, which is related to the terminfo (about terminfo). You can check what control characters the system uses with the stty command. How can this new ban on drag possibly be considered constitutional? 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 ^? 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 . What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? @Rachel Thanks, though I found out that my problem was that the Cygwin install missed some important files (like /usr/lib/terminfo). Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most. Your backspace key may be broken due to a bad mapping which has been loaded into Vim. The reason for this is because many Linux distro's ship with pre-made vimrc files which set some common options. Backspace does not work in Cygwin - Super User http://linux-journal.blogspot.com/2005/04/fix-vim-backspace-doesnt-work.html, Worked for me: In the Windows command prompt, type.