Thank you for this in-depth analysis and workaround for the X11 keymapping issue!
This basic mapping works fine on my MBP with 10.5.8 and XQuartz 2.3.2 - 2.4.0 (though I only use the minimum: left Option key to 'Alt_L', nothing else). It does not interfere with other X11 GTK2 apps like the GIMP - if anything it helps because (like Inkscape) GIMP relies on the real 'Alt_L' keycode for some of the shortcuts (like e.g. moving a selection).
My main concern - should any xmodmap mechanism be included into the osx package - is the ongoing development process of X11/XQuartz:
1) some current versions of the XQuartz server seem to expose a bug that can loose or ignore the keymap configuration in ~/.Xmodmap (see <http://lists.macosforge.org/pipermail/xquartz-dev/2009-October/002560.html>). It's not clear to me from the occasionally mentioning I found in the mailing list archives of xquartz-dev and X11-users if this will be fixed in the next XQuartz releases for Leopard and SL. I haven't experienced the bug on my system though.
2) any future release might change the default key-mappings again - as has happened before (like changing the Option-key from Alt_L to Mode_Switch AFAIK)?
Another question I could not find an answer yet:
3) Do you know if the keycodes listed above (the hex codes) are the same on all models (laptop/desktop) and localized keyboards?
I'm hesitant to changing the keymapping when installing or launching Inkscape - OTOH I know from reading numerous postings in Inkscape and GIMP user forums that tinkering with dotfiles like .Xmodmap is a major obstacle for many users who are not familiar with the terminal and the command line and who just want to use font kerning within Inkscape.
Thank you for this in-depth analysis and workaround for the X11 keymapping issue!
This basic mapping works fine on my MBP with 10.5.8 and XQuartz 2.3.2 - 2.4.0 (though I only use the minimum: left Option key to 'Alt_L', nothing else). It does not interfere with other X11 GTK2 apps like the GIMP - if anything it helps because (like Inkscape) GIMP relies on the real 'Alt_L' keycode for some of the shortcuts (like e.g. moving a selection).
My main concern - should any xmodmap mechanism be included into the osx package - is the ongoing development process of X11/XQuartz: lists.macosforg e.org/pipermail /xquartz- dev/2009- October/ 002560. html>). It's not clear to me from the occasionally mentioning I found in the mailing list archives of xquartz-dev and X11-users if this will be fixed in the next XQuartz releases for Leopard and SL. I haven't experienced the bug on my system though.
1) some current versions of the XQuartz server seem to expose a bug that can loose or ignore the keymap configuration in ~/.Xmodmap (see <http://
2) any future release might change the default key-mappings again - as has happened before (like changing the Option-key from Alt_L to Mode_Switch AFAIK)?
Another question I could not find an answer yet:
3) Do you know if the keycodes listed above (the hex codes) are the same on all models (laptop/desktop) and localized keyboards?
I'm hesitant to changing the keymapping when installing or launching Inkscape - OTOH I know from reading numerous postings in Inkscape and GIMP user forums that tinkering with dotfiles like .Xmodmap is a major obstacle for many users who are not familiar with the terminal and the command line and who just want to use font kerning within Inkscape.