Keyboard Assignments Under UNIX

It is always important to know the layout of the keyboard and the terminal type. To check your terminal type, type the command:

	ssc /u/userid $ echo $TERM
	vt100

The system responds with the answer on the second line above.

To view key assignments, type:

ssc /u/userid $ stty -a

A partial rendering of the system response is presented below:

speed 9600 baud; 0 rows; 0 columns;
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^H; kill = ^U; eof = ; eol = ^@
eol2 = ^@; start = ^Q; stop = ^S; susp = ^Z; dsusp = ^Y; reprint = ^R
discard = ^O; werase = ^W; lnext = ^V

(NOTE: The "^" or carat symbol designates the control key.)

Important keys to remember are:

Interrupt key = ctrl C
Interrupts the program that is currently executing.
Quit Key = ctrl \
Provides a stronger form of interrupt. The quit key often works when the interrupt key doesn't, but it also produces a usually useless file named core that records the contents of computer memory.
Erase Key = ctrl H
Deletes the most recently typed character.
Kill Key = ctrl U
Cancels the line you're typing. (This is not the same as the kill command.)
Start and Stop Keys = ctrl Q and ctrl S
Control output sent to your terminal. The stop key stops output and start key restarts it.
Suspend Key = ctrl Z
Suspends the program you're running, so you can do something else. The suspended program is not destroyed; therefore, it can be resumed later.
Word Erase Key= ctrl W
Erases the previous word on the line you just typed.
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