comparison man/trouble.texi @ 37347:bd817d6f9ba3

Minor clarifications regarding DEL key. Mention toggle-debug-on-error.

37346:e80fc3e25af8

@cindex usual erasure key

  Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET} or
@key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase the
last character that you typed.  We call this key @dfn{the usual
erasure key}.  In Emacs, it is supposed to be equivalent to @key{DEL}.

  When Emacs starts up using a window system, it determines
automatically which key should be @key{DEL}.  In some unusual cases
Emacs gets the wrong information from the system.  If the usual
erasure key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably

character.  Emacs ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it
isn't.

  In all of those cases, the immediate remedy is the same: use the
command @kbd{M-x normal-erase-is-backspace-mode}.  That should make
the proper @key{DEL} key work.  On a text-only terminal, if you do
want to ask for help, use @key{F1} or @kbd{C-?}.

@findex normal-erase-is-backspace-mode
  To fix the problem automatically for every Emacs session, you can
put one of the following lines into your @file{.emacs} file

To get the error message text accurately, copy it from the
@samp{*Messages*} buffer into the bug report.  Copy all of it, not just
part.

To make a backtrace for the error, evaluate the Lisp expression
@code{(setq @w{debug-on-error t})} before the error happens (that is to
say, you must execute that expression and then make the bug happen).
This causes the error to run the Lisp debugger, which shows you a
backtrace.  Copy the text of the debugger's backtrace into the bug
report.

This use of the debugger is possible only if you know how to make the
bug happen again.  If you can't make it happen again, at least copy
the whole error message.

37347:bd817d6f9ba3

@cindex usual erasure key

  Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET} or
@key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase the
last character that you typed.  We call this key @dfn{the usual
erasure key}.  In Emacs, it is supposed to be equivalent to @key{DEL},
and when Emacs is properly configured for your terminal, it translates
that key into the character @key{DEL}.

  When Emacs starts up using a window system, it determines
automatically which key should be @key{DEL}.  In some unusual cases
Emacs gets the wrong information from the system.  If the usual
erasure key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably

character.  Emacs ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it
isn't.

  In all of those cases, the immediate remedy is the same: use the
command @kbd{M-x normal-erase-is-backspace-mode}.  That should make
the proper key work as @key{DEL}.  On a text-only terminal, if you do
want to ask for help, use @key{F1} or @kbd{C-?}.

@findex normal-erase-is-backspace-mode
  To fix the problem automatically for every Emacs session, you can
put one of the following lines into your @file{.emacs} file

To get the error message text accurately, copy it from the
@samp{*Messages*} buffer into the bug report.  Copy all of it, not just
part.

@findex toggle-debug-on-error
To make a backtrace for the error, use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-error}
before the error happens (that is to say, you must give that command
and then make the bug happen).  This causes the error to run the Lisp
debugger, which shows you a backtrace.  Copy the text of the
debugger's backtrace into the bug report.  @xref{Debugger,, The Lisp
Debugger, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}, for information on
debugging Emacs Lisp programs.

This use of the debugger is possible only if you know how to make the
bug happen again.  If you can't make it happen again, at least copy
the whole error message.