Screen backspace broken, delete ok, backspace and del ok in plain bash

Question

Hi, all, im having a little trouble getting backspace to work in screen session, i have looked up previous messages and everything works fine in normal bash session to server (debian), utf-8 ok, delete ok, backspace ok, but when i launch screen on server side, the backspace is not working, i get visual bell.
On screen session at mac server this is working properly, and on local machine everything is ok.
I tried to set .screenrc file on server containing:
bindkey -d kb stuff \177
bindkey -d kb stuff "\177"
bindkey -d kb stuff ^?
bindkey -d kb stuff `H
(single line every try offcourse), but no solution so far.
I do realise most likely its not os x issue but im have not found working fix on linux sites either, and asking & telling im a mac user closes some doors.
Oh and i should point out, im using mbp and delete combo is fn-backspace, wich is working ok in screen, but plain backspace is the problem.
Any idea's or directions other than google appreciated. Thanks.
.:: Macbook Pro c2d & Maxtor 160Gb fw ::.   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

Answer 1

Hi Freemem,
   What you didn't say is how you got backspace to work in the Debian shell. I don't know anything about screen but most command line utilities work correctly if you fix the problem at the terminal level rather than the shell level. You can use bindkey in the shell but that isn't always communicated to utilities launched from that shell. (like screen) I don't know if screen will benefit from the following but the preferred way to get the terminal to grok the '^?' control character being sent by the backspace or delete key is to use stty. (this issue is hardly limited to Macs; every machine I use, including RedHat, sends the '^?' control character when the backspace key is pressed) I use the following in my remote shells.
if [ "$-" = "himBH" ]; then
   stty erase ^?
fi
Note that the "^?" should actually be the control character produced by the key sequence, <Control>-v, <Delete>. Also, I've included the test for shell interactivity that I use; you may have to adjust that for Debian. If you copy-and-paste the above, make sure you replace the non-breaking spaces I used for indention at the beginning of the second line with real spaces. Note that I don't use screen so I don't know whether this will help in a screen session but I think it has a good chance; it helps with every app I use.
Gary
~~~~
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