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From: mouse@lightning.mcrcim.mcgill.EDU (der Mouse)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re:  xmodmap: bad set modifier mapping
Message-ID: <9104012056.AA05451@lightning.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>
Date: 1 Apr 91 20:56:18 GMT
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 38

> Hi.  Can someone explain why I'm getting this error message?  What
> does the message mean?  Is there anyway to do what I want without
> getting the error?

> I'm trying to use xmodmap to reconfigure the keyboard on a VAX 2000
> running X.  [...]

> But, when I try to do the last step, the following happens:

> [use xmodmap to put Caps_Lock on some other key]

>     % xmodmap -
>     add Lock = Caps_Lock
>     xmodmap: bad set modifier mapping
>     %

According to the R4 sources, this means the call to XSetModifierMapping
returned MappingFailed.

According to the Xlib document,

	An X server can impose restrictions on how modifiers can be
	changed, for example, if certain keys do not generate up
	transitions in hardware, if auto-repeat cannot be disabled on
	certain keys, or if multiple modifier keys are not supported.
	If some such restriction is violated, the status reply is
	MappingFailed, and none of the modifiers are changed.  If the
	new KeyCodes specified for a modifier differ from those
	currently defined and any (current or new) keys for that
	modifier are in the logically down state, XSetModifierMapping
	returns MappingBusy, and none of the modifiers is changed.

I would have to assume your keyboard is such a one.

					der Mouse

			old: mcgill-vision!mouse
			new: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu