The book "Learning Red Hat Linux" states:

"While Windows lets you choose to perform most operations by using the keyboard or mouse, X was designed for use with a mouse. If your mouse isn't functioning, you'll find it quite challenging or even impossible to use most X programs. X allows you to perform only a few important functions via the keyboard:

"Switching video modes

"Using virtual consoles

"Abruptly terminating X"

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:...lnk&cd=2&gl=us


I found the statement both in the 1999 and 2003 editions of the book, the latter in the cached Google copy.

Is this statement about limited X support for the keyboard correct?

It's the role of the desktop environment to perform keyboard shortcuts. E.G. Application shortcuts in KDE. Usually shortcuts are implemented at a higher level because they are incorporated with menu levels, which is handled by the Window Manager. So technically, the statement is true, but that is because this isn't something that X would handle. Windows incorporates the managing of windows. X11 doesn't. IMHO, this is the difference between Windows and X11, which accounts for X not handling keyboard shortcuts.