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Keys that reach the shell

A Meta key that works, Option on macOS included, AltGr left alone for the layouts that need it, and the scrollback and paste keys a Linux hand reaches for.

• Meta that works. Alt sends ESC and the key, so readline’s M-f, M-b and M-d move and delete by word. On macOS, Option is a compose key (Option+F types ƒ), and Termina sends the key itself, not an escape followed by ƒ. Settings → Terminal → Input → Use Alt as Meta turns it off when you want Option to compose.
• AltGr left alone. On Windows and Linux AltGr arrives as Ctrl+Alt, and layouts use it for @, { and €. What it composes reaches the shell as typed, and dead keys and input methods work.
• Ctrl+Alt+letter sends Meta over the control byte, readline’s C-M-f, when it is the plain letter and not an AltGr character.
• The Linux reflexes. Shift+Insert pastes, Ctrl+Insert copies, and middle-click pastes the clipboard.
• Scrollback from the keyboard. Shift+PageUp, Shift+PageDown, Shift+Home and Shift+End move through the history, and go to the program instead on the alternate screen, where less uses them.
• Tab and Esc always go to the shell. Esc does not leave full screen, so in vim it leaves insert mode.

See Keyboard.