Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

hchiper · 2025-08-15 14:47

In another thread Armbroke complained about not being able to type the pipe | char.
Before advising him to type Alt+124, I tried myself and I was surprised to get this displayed on a new line instead:

(arg: 124)

After having typed the '4', nothing happens and "(arg: 124)" remains displayed.
If I hit enter or tab or right arrow at that time, the whole line is replaced by a new prompt.
I can type up to 6 digits and at the 7th, the whole line is also replaced by a new prompt.

This behaviour is the same with Q4OS 5 as with Q4OS 4.

In a pure console (Alt+Ctrl+F2) it works as expected.

I spent a long time searching the web how to use Alt+(alt-code) in Konsole but in vain. And I wasn't able to find any setting in Konsole to configure that.

Does anybody know what this (arg: ...) is used for and how to enable the usual usage of alt-codes?

Edit:
laptop, keyboard layout = "be"

Last edited by hchiper (2025-08-15 15:02)

bin · 2025-08-15 17:17

Perhaps it would be a good idea if you were to provide a link to the thread in question.

Try man readline. The alt key plus number is kicking off a numeric argument (arg).

crosscourt · 2025-08-15 19:10

I believe its this thread bin, www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5575

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-08-15 19:11)

hchiper · 2025-08-15 20:03

Thanks for your replies.
crosscourt is right; more precisely post #15.
I browsed readline man, but I wasn't able to find anything about this behaviour nor why KDE Konsole and a pure console behave differently.

q4osteam · 2025-08-15 22:02

hchiper wrote:

I browsed readline man, but I wasn't able to find anything about this behaviour nor why KDE Konsole and a pure console behave differently.

As far as we know, Plasma Konsole can't handle Windows-style Alt+Num keyboard shortcuts, while Linux console does. We are not sure why.

hchiper · 2025-08-15 23:47

Thanks for the information. It will avoid me to spend time searching further.

bugmenot · 2025-08-24 06:24

hchiper wrote:

Thanks for the information. It will avoid me to spend time searching further.

i was thinking the style to type unicode in linux is different,it is not alt + num like in windows, try ctrl+shift+u then type unicode like ctrl+shift+u 1f602 then space
surprised that alt + num is working in real linux consoles but not trinity or plasma konsole, don't know why, may be i will try in gnome terminal
i hope some body reply to my topics btw

Last edited by bugmenot (2025-08-24 06:32)

hchiper · 2025-08-24 08:52

Thanks for your suggestion. Unfortunately it works neither in Plasma Konsole, nor even in a pure terminal.

I think there is a difference because Plasma "Konsole" is not a real console (or terminal), it is an emulator with a graphical interface that "looks like" a real console (dark background and monospace font), but having its own "interpretation" of keystrokes, and obviously Alt + (alt-code) is not implemented.

Q4OS Forum

#1 2025-08-15 14:47

Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#2 2025-08-15 17:17

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#3 2025-08-15 19:10

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#4 2025-08-15 20:03

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#5 2025-08-15 22:02

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#6 2025-08-15 23:47

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#7 2025-08-24 06:24

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

#8 2025-08-24 08:52

Re: Konsole: unexpected behaviour of Alt + (alt-code)

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