# in vi.

[Greg Conn]

I have a weird one. This just started for me. When I vi a file and try to put a # in the file, it wont let me. Any ideas?

[Jim Moffitt_1]

What do you mean it won't let you? when you put the # does it give you an immediate response? Do you have your caps on?

[Robert Hoey]

Greg,

I would double check that your TERM environment variable is set correctly. I have never seen this before, but if it happened to me, that's what I would check. Also, verify that those keys (Shift, 3) on your keyboard work.

I apologize if I am stating the obvious.

-Rob

[Stefan Farrelly · Accepted solution]

Things to try;

1. use another terminal window to vi the file. Sometimes terminal windows do crazy things and need a restart.

2. Can you insert a # manually but doing;
echo \\043 >> then vi the file and you can see the # character ? then you can move it.

3. Check your keyboard mapping and terminal setup.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Hi Greg, Dollars to donuts you have set the 'erase' key to '#'. That is leftover from the very old days of unix when rather than entering a backspace you enter a '#' to erase (strikeout) the character.

You almost certainly have an incorrect TERM setting. If the problem persists after you exit vi then you can test the problem using the 'stty' command.
If stty reports that erase=# then that's your problem. You should then be able to do a
stty erase '^H' to set erase back to a backspace.

Regards, Clay

[Vincenzo Restuccia]

Check your keyboard in /etc/kbdlang

[Greg Conn]

Only happens on one box. Term is set right and everything else looks good. Weird! I will switch out keyboards and see what happens. Thanks, Greg

[Greg Conn]

I inserted it manualy and then I reset it using stty. Great job guys!

[Greg Conn]

When i reset it using stty and log out and then in it did not stay. Where should I check to set it perm?

[A. Clay Stephenson]

You can set in your .profile.

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Greg:

The appropriate place to set it is in the $HOME/.profile

You will see the standard issue .profile already accomodates 'stty' commands.

...JRF...

[Greg Conn]

Why do I have to do this? Is there a bigger configuration problem somewhere? Putting it in the .profile did work. Thanks.

[MANOJ SRIVASTAVA]

Hi Greg

This is not a bigger config problem . It is just a matter of the env variables . It can be possible that stty erase has been set to # in the same .proifle at the start of the file and you are just restting it . But in no case this is a bigger config problem . Dont worry at all.

Manoj Srivastava