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(efaq)Meta key does not work in xterm

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Why doesn't my <Meta> key work in an `xterm' window?
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   Note: Single-Byte Character Set Support.


   If the advice in the Emacs manual fails, try all of these methods
before asking for further help:

   * You may have big problems using `mwm' as your window manager.
     (Does anyone know a good generic solution to allow the use of the
     <Meta> key in Emacs with `mwm'?)

   * For X11: Make sure it really is a <Meta> key.  Use `xev' to find
     out what keysym your <Meta> key generates.  It should be either
     `Meta_L' or `Meta_R'.  If it isn't, use `xmodmap' to fix the
     situation.  If <Meta> does generate `Meta_L' or `Meta_R', but
     `M-x' produces a non-ASCII character, put this in your
     `~/.Xdefaults' file:

           XTerm*eightBitInput:   false
           XTerm*eightBitOutput:  true

   * Make sure the `pty' the `xterm' is using is passing 8 bit
     characters.  `stty -a' (or `stty everything') should show `cs8'
     somewhere.  If it shows `cs7' instead, use `stty cs8 -istrip' (or
     `stty pass8') to fix it.

   * If there is an `rlogin' connection between `xterm' and Emacs, the
     `-8' argument may need to be given to rlogin to make it pass all 8
     bits of every character.

   * If Emacs is running on Ultrix, it is reported that evaluating
     `(set-input-mode t nil)' helps.

   * If all else fails, you can make `xterm' generate `<ESC> W' when
     you type `M-W', which is the same conversion Emacs would make if it
     got the `M-W' anyway.  In X11R4, the following resource
     specification will do this:

          XTerm.VT100.EightBitInput: false

     (This changes the behavior of the `insert-eight-bit' action.)

     With older `xterm's, you can specify this behavior with a
     translation:

          XTerm.VT100.Translations: #override \
            Meta<KeyPress>: string(0x1b) insert()

     You might have to replace `Meta' with `Alt'.