Hi,
I am Kimberlyn and I downloaded Inkscape looking around in it loving what I would see until I tried to do some things with the mouse and control click or alt click and the challenges started. Then I was reading on the forum here how to change my X11 or xterm. Now I am not good with how to write programs or change things within my computer but if I could get a little quick dummies course from some of you I would be so appreciative.

First of all I have a Power PC with Mac OSX 10.5.8
I went to the Applications file then to Utilties and pulled up X11.
They said to go to preferences in X11 and enable follow system keyboard layout (I did).

At that point I went to the Xterm page.
What was written there was the following: bash-3.2$
Of course I don't know what the hell that means but ....I continued
So there is a curser there that will not let you go back but forward so I proceed to type the following:

$ xmodmap -pke > ~/.Xmodmap
$ open -e ~/.Xmodmap
Change the line: "keycode 66 = Mode_switch" to "keycode 66 = Meta_L"
Change the line: "keycode 69 = Mode_switch" to "keycode 69 = Meta_R"

After I enter that I was to save this.
There isn't a save button.
So please tell me how to input this code from a dummies point of view. I really would love to work with this program.

Please from a Non programmer of non alt coder.
Kimberlyn

Kimberlynavon wrote:Then I was reading on the forum here how to change my X11 or xterm.

Follow the instructions in the official Inkscape FAQ: " Mac OS X specific issues: How to make the Alt key work? "

Inkscape FAQ wrote:(…) you can try using a keyboard mapping file for X11 (the environment Inkscape is running in) called an xmodmap. Open a terminal and type

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cd ~
touch .xmodmap


This will create a new text file called ".xmodmap" in your home directory. The period before the actual file name "xmodmap" causes the file to stay hidden within the Finder. Now open the file by typing

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open .xmodmap

and paste the following into the newly created file:

Code: Select all

keycode 66 = Alt_L

"Open a terminal…" - you can find the terminal application in 'Applications > Utilities > Terminal'.

open .xmodmap will open the newly created file in TextEdit, you can save it after inserting the new line as usual with 'Cmd+S' or using the menu command 'File > Save'.

Note I: This procedure - using the terminal to create the file (touch .xmodmap) and launch TextEdit with the newly created file - is necessary because so-called dot-files (files whose file name starts with a '.') are hidden files, not visible in the Finder and not accessible from the normal File dialogs of OS X applications.

Note II: The answer in FAQ also explains how to access diacritics and special characters using the other (right) Option/Alt key (or rather why it is recommended to only change the keymapping of the left 'Option/Alt' key and not both (as seemingly is proposed in the forum topic you got your first instruction from)).

Thank you for your reply but I am still lost. I haven't the slightest idea where to start.

You wrote: you can try using a keyboard mapping file for X11 (the environment Inkscape is running in) called an xmodmap. Open a terminal and type

I have no idea what you mean. Where do I find this xmodmap?

I am truly lost.
Please help!!!!

Kimberlynavon wrote:Where do I find this xmodmap?

You don't. The instructions tell you how to create a file called '.xmodmap' (note the leading . which is part of the file name). Please read the complete instructions first, usually they try to provide enough explanations to get a basic idea about what you are going to do.

NOTE: this list of instructions is based on the Inkscape FAQ > Mac OS X specific issues > How to make the Alt key work?. Please do read it first before attempting to follow the instructions listed below.

1. quit Inkscape
2. quit X11
3. open a new Finder window and browse to 'Applications > Utilities'
4. double-click the icon called 'Terminal'
5. in the new Terminal window, type exactly (keep lower/upper case, punctuation as well as the space between the words):
   touch .xmodmap
   and press the <Enter> key (⏎) to finish the first line. This command will create an empty file with the file name '.xmodmap' in your Home folder if it does not yet exist. If the file already exists, nothing bad will happen (just continue with the next step). Note that files whose file name starts with a dot (.) are hidden (system) files and are not listed in the normal Finder window.
6. now enter the second command:
   open .xmodmap
   and press the <Enter> key (⏎) to finish the second command. This will open the newly created file in a TextEdit window.
7. if the TextEdit window, which now has appeared on your screen, contains any text, then select it all (⌘+A) and delete it (⌫). We don't need it (any existing text is most likely the result of your earlier failed attempts).
8. in the cleared (empty) TextEdit window, write the following line (again, keep the same upper / lower case, punctuation and spaces separating the words as shown here):
   keycode 66 = Alt_L
9. Save the text document with '⌘+S' or using the 'File' menu in the menubar at the top of your screen ('File > Save')
10. close the TextEdit window
11. restart Inkscape by double-clicking its icon in the Finder (or in the Dock). Inkscape will automatically first launch X11 and then open a new Inkscape document window.

If all went well, you can now use the left 'Option/Alt' key (⌥) for keyboard shortcuts and menu accelerators as is described in Inkscape manuals and tutorials. The 'Option/Alt' key on the right side of your keyboard - between the space bar and the cursor keys - can still be used for diacritics and special characters like 'ø' or 'π' etc. when writing text in the Inskcape document (depending on your language setting and keyboard layout you are using).

Thank you so much. I did not see this information below before. Now things are making since to me.
Again Thank you for you kindness.
Kimberlyn