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Depending on who you ask, the function <backspace>, or the act of of deleting a single character to the left (previous), should be mapped the the rubout key, or <delete>.

If default Bourne shell was not mapped with "stty erase", which is an easy fix, its probably good cause behind this. There were many terminals in use so the path to least resistance was followed by allowing the user to set their own environment.

Have to agree really. When you look at OpenSolaris, and its inability to do Virtual Terminals as well, you really have to ask what you're getting. All they're doing is stuff that Linux distros fixed......years ago.

It makes Linux look as ready for the desktop as it ever was, and it's actually a decent reminder just how much has improved.

Edited 2008-05-05 20:55 UTC

Err let's see ZFS snapshotting before system updates seem like something no Linux distro supports.



Yet Linux has a minuscule desktop market share of 2.02%. MacOS X doesn't do Virtual Consoles either but has more market share, 7.3 %. MacOS X has been around since 2001. Linux since 1992. MacOS X

Bottom line virtual consoles don't sell anything.

Do you really have to pick at straws on every Sun related topic? It would make sense if you ever had a reasonable argument to make.

It's not an inability, it's a lack of pre-configuration, just like with the backspace key. With that being said, give the guys time to iron out the bugs and add new features. They're already doing loads of work on the system, you can't expect it all in the first release. There has been a lot of work and effort put into getting this first release out.

The plain and simple reason of teaching users the fundamentals of using a system. Majority of the problems faced by computer systems users today would be solved with a little education.

You don't just give a kid,learning to ride for the the first time, a bike and tell him/her to go around a block for a spin, do you? You don't just hop on your bike and compete in the tour de france without training. How about when some one decides they want to drive? Similarly even if you know how to drive you just can't expect a person to drive around a race track.

If a person decides to use the shell on a Unix/linux systems they should at least know the basics of how to set shell properties.




Why? Why is it any more unreasonable than rm not moving a file to the trash can/recycle bin? The desktop environment has that as the mechanism for deleting a file why shouldn't the shell in 2008?



You are assuming it is a problem and not just a user preference.



Unix had a lot more problems than user attitudes that prevented it from making it on the desktop. Linux has had a shell that does erase on backspace for almost a decade, how much desktop market share has it gained?

If a system doesn't use the backspace to delete text then it is dead in the water. End of story. If you have to teach a user that that kind of 'fundamental' isn't what they think it is then you're in trouble.

Hey Solaris. Welcome to all the stuff Linux distros have learned over the past ten years (and how far they still have to go) ;-). It's an interesting ride.


Oh dear.


More than Solaris, let's put it that way.

Unix had a lot more problems than user attitudes that prevented it from making it on the desktop. Linux has had a shell that does erase on backspace for almost a decade, how much desktop market share has it gained? "
You completely missed the point. You said what you said to try and make yourself look cool/smart/whatever and make the other guy look dumb. I am pretty much new to GNU+Linux and Unix, so I can't say I've been able to personally witness this over the last 20 years, but let's just say it's hardly inconceivable that people like yourself have probably forced quite a few people away (from *nix) over the years (potential developers and users). It has nothing to do with having backspace delete characters to the left in the default terminal...

Well said and I'm almost in total agreement, except on letting another OS take over the desktop ;-)

I personally find that a major issue with Unix, especially in the workstation market, was that none of them interacted very well with one another as well as the fact that they cost so much and mostly needed proprietary hardware. Sure, the BSD's where around but due to the AT&T court case, nobody wanted to touch em with a barge poll.

I must say that the amount of times I have heard users complain about the arrogant behavior of Unix admins is quite shocking.

Knowledge of Unix systems, especially shell scripting, is often worn like some kind of badge of honor and anyone not privy to the secret handshake must be some kind of dim wit. Failure to hide such dimwitedness, especially if the dimwit in question has the incredible stupidity to express a dislike, or even just ask a pertinent question, must be met with ridicule and denunciations as otherwise, how else will the admin be able to show off his incredible esoteric knowledge of Unix?

The arrogance is truly pathetic, not to mention unfounded, but unfortunately, I come across it far too often. It seems like you do too Steve.

That's why Unix utterly and completely failed at its chance on the desktop around Windows 3.0 and OS/2. A bunch of people got together into a club, created a set 'standards' and assumed that because they had created a set of said 'standards' that it didn't matter what anyone else did, or how people expected their systems to work.

That attitude still remains today. Honestly, I ask you. 'Educating' users that the backspace button won't delete text?

Why would the dimwit be using the command line in the first place?

The pertinent question would be "How does one set the backspace to delete on the Bourne shell or default shell?".

Not "Oh come on don't tell me backspace doesn't work on this thing in 2008".

I find the later to not only be ignorant but extremely ignorant. As if someone is entitled to some thing.




I am ok with such reactions from end users who have never used a similar system. But coming from linux users just rubs me the wrong way. That's my point.

" The arrogance is truly pathetic, not to mention unfounded, but unfortunately, I come across it far too often. It seems like you do too Steve."

That is exactly the reason I do not use Linux in any serious way these days. The arrogance on the forums was intolerable. So if what you say is true it would appear that UNIX does not have a lock in that department.

I am downloading Open Solaris as I type and intend to give it a try. I may not like it, but just because you like the delete on backspace does not mean that every OS has to do that. It would be a rather dull world if every OS was the same. Anyway, if you want to use an OS you have to learn the quirks, and they all have them.