Difference between revisions of "Meta key"

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* [[Sun-2]] keyboard has modifiers LEFT and RIGHT.  Subsequent Sun keyboards have the diamond symbol.
 
* [[Sun-2]] keyboard has modifiers LEFT and RIGHT.  Subsequent Sun keyboards have the diamond symbol.
 
* The [[X Window System]] protocol has five "mod" [[bucky bit]]s, of which the first is usually mapped to Meta and/or Alt.
 
* The [[X Window System]] protocol has five "mod" [[bucky bit]]s, of which the first is usually mapped to Meta and/or Alt.
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==External links==
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* [http://xahlee.info/kbd/meta_key.html History of Meta Key] by Xah Lee.

Latest revision as of 09:13, 20 November 2025

For now, some notes about the development of a "meta key" concept. Roughly in chronological order.

  • "Meta Hand" on the TX-2 keyboards. Typed to enter a "meta command", or special directions to the assembly program.
  • META on the LINC keyboard. Typed as a prefix for commands, much like the TX-2 key.
  • ITS and its preceding PDP-6 software uses Teletype model 33 Altmode key as a command prefix.
  • EDIT on the IMSSS custom Datamedia keyboard for use with TVEdit. Typed to enter editor commands.
  • META modifier on the SAIL keyboard.
  • META modifier on the Knight keyboard; used with EMACS as an alternative to the Altmode prefix. Also TOP.
  • META modifier on the Kulp "space-cadet" keyboard. Also TOP, GREEK, SUPER, HYPER.
  • Stanford SUN workstation proposal from 1980 mentions a META key.
  • Sun-2 keyboard has modifiers LEFT and RIGHT. Subsequent Sun keyboards have the diamond symbol.
  • The X Window System protocol has five "mod" bucky bits, of which the first is usually mapped to Meta and/or Alt.

External links