[80x86]

This is interesting, thanks for sharing this. I will look at the JOE editor to see how this is implemented.

I have thought about this problem off and on. Usually the conclusion I come to is that we need a new tty interface. The old tty interface has too much legacy baggage. For example l, in addition to the buffering problem, there is also the key input problem. Ideally, a newer interface would provide scan codes instead of the escape sequences. Not having to deal with ‘escape’ like we do today would simplify things.

[skissane]

> Ideally, a newer interface would provide scan codes instead of the escape sequences. Not having to deal with ‘escape’ like we do today would simplify things.

While I agree the Unix tty model is crufty and old, this particular feature doesn't require any changes to it. The later models of the real DEC terminals introduced a mode called DECPCTERM to send PC compatible keyboard scan codes, with escape sequences to enable/disable it. Terminal emulators very rarely implement it, but there is no reason why they couldn't. And there is no change the Unix tty subsystem design required to support it.