| OsxTerminal |
Fix backspace/delete when ssh'ing into Linux machines
I have experienced the same problem in a range of applications: when I SSH from my Macs into Linux machines, the backspace key often stops working. I wasn't content to keep checking and un-checking the 'delete sends backspace' option, because these things ought to be automatic. I traced the problem to the Linux (Debian, at least) default terminfo entry for xterm-color. Terminfo is a database present on most Unix systems that tells programs how to interact with a variety of different terminals.
The solution: Copy the xterm-color terminfo file from a Mac to the Linux box. If you have Fink installed, get the file from /sw -> share -> terminfo -> x -> xterm-color; otherwise, use the one installed by default at /usr -> share -> terminfo -> 78 -> xterm-color. You can put the file in /usr -> share -> terminfo -> x/ on the Linux box (if you have root access), or in your home directory in ~/.terminfo -> x/ (create the directory structure if necessary). Then log out and SSH back into the Linux machine, and your backspace key should work properly in all applications.
This fixes zsh and screen for me, and keeps emacs working properly both on OS X and when SSH'd into a Linux machine.