On Thu, Jun 11, 2015 at 1:23 PM, Richard Hipp <d...@sqlite.org> wrote:

> On 6/11/15, Stephan Beal <sgb...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> "A" - in other words swap the CapsLock and Ctrl keys - otherwise your
> >> pinky is a goner.
> >>
> >
> >
> > That's a great idea. i'll take a look at that (will help with bash, in
> any
> > case).
> >
>
> Just an historical note for all you younglings:
>
> In days of yore, the Ctrl key was always beside the "A" key by
> default.  Then IBM entered the market with the IBM PC, and they moved
> the key arrangement around so that it would match the keys on the IBM
> Selectric typewriter.  This was met with great howls of protest from
> programmers.  But IBM's target market was business users, not
> programmers, so those protests fell upon deaf ears and the Selectric
> typewriter arrangement stuck.  And then the rest of the keyboard
> makers started following IBM's lead.  Ever since then, we poor
> programmers have forced to use hacks like xmodmap to get the keys back
> into the correct place.
>

Actually, the Ctrl key was to the left of the A key on the stock keyboard
for the IBM PC, XT & AT models. The model M, introduced in 1986, moved the
caps lock key (and perhaps was based on other keyboards). See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PC_keyboard for pictures.

I had heard a rumor long ago that part of the reason for the change in
position of CAPS LOCK & CTRL was due to some patent, but a half hour of
searching has revealed nothing to substantiate it. Apparently the model M
is based on an ANSI layout?

-- 
Scott Robison
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