160514 - backspace key as [back] button not supported in Linux

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(SeaMonkey :: General, defect)

Description

[Patrick Xia]

From Bugzilla Helper:
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.0.0) Gecko/20020607
BuildID:    any_build(currently using 2002053012)

Linux doesn't support hitting the [Backspace] key as going backwards in history.
It just ignores the backspace. Windows Mozilla features this feature.

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.Go to any website under Linux.
2.Click on a link.
3.Hit [Backspace].

Actual Results:  Nothing Happens.

Expected Results:  history.go(-1)

KDE 3.0, also reproduced using remote-display to a winaXe.

I feel this severity is major, as it's hampering me from completely switching to
Linux.

Comment 1

[Patrick Xia]

*** Bug 160515 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 2

[timeless]

more accurately, mozilla for windows features this bug.

if you like this bug, you are free to rename en-usWIN to en-usUNIX or whatever
and live with its consequences.

there was a great battle fought over this silly thing, and the person w/ the
last word wrote for winIE compat. n4 used backspace to go up a page which is
what i'd prefer and since winIE is rarely found on unix the surprise factor of
this bug is a real loser.

Of note, the victor is no longer actively developing for mozilla, i wonder if we
can fight the battle again for windows.

Comment 3

[Patrick Xia]

What does the backspace button do in *nix, though?

Comment 4

[Patrick Xia]

and where is en-usWIN/en-usUNIX found?

Comment 5

[Christian :Biesinger (don't email me, ping me on IRC)]

backspace deletes a character. that's what it's for.

the files timeless mentioned are in the chrome directory of your mozilla
installation (might be called slightly different), they have a .jar extension.

but don't do that, there are more differences than just backspace vs non-backspace.
I am not even sure that these are the files that contain this difference.

Comment 6

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

Wontfix. Backspace or Delete should never do anything other than deleting.

Comment 7

[Patrick Xia]

So, the Windows version would be a 'bug' to have [Backspace] as a history.back 
button?

Comment 8

[Christian :Biesinger (don't email me, ping me on IRC)]

yeah.... but for reasons I can't understand, (the responsible) people want it
that way.

Comment 9

[Adrian Ulrich]

See also:
http://www.mozilla.org/docs/end-user/moz_shortcuts.html

 Back shortcuts:
Win32: Alt+Left Arrow or Backspace
Mac:   Cmd+Left Arrow
Linux: Alt+Left Arrow

It's everything like it should be.. but i don't know why the windows also has
'backspace' as shortcut (wich is imho not very logical)

Comment 10

[R.K.Aa.]

*** Bug 174263 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***