Can't get metaSendsEscape to work

Question

I previously used Manjaroi3, when I enabled xrvt*metaSendsEscape: true it just worked.

I got tired of all the complicated stuff that came with running arch, nothing against arch, I just got sidetracked with problems and workarounds way too much. So I switched to Ubuntu, I am running version 18.04LTS with i3wm.

When I set up rxvt-unicode, I can't get metaSendsEscape to work inside neovim.

I have tried the following:

• I have gone into ubuntu, disabled every alt-keyboardshortcut I could find.
• Downloaded gnome-tweaks and set alt to meta & alt
• Tried seemingly every combination of Xterm, xterm, URxvt, . * in .Xresources
• Tried altSendsEscape with every combination I could think of
• Tried remapping with xmodmaps\, my keypress on left alt now gives meta-L
• Googled for days, now when I search for metaSendsEscape, the whole page is populated with purple links

I think something is stealing the alt/meta when I press it, before it reaches urxvt or nvim. I don't know, i'm desperate.

The goal:

Use alt + h j k l to move between splits.

Use alt + anything to exit insertmode and do that action, not moving between windows.

That's how I had it in Manjaroi3, I want it back. I miss it so.

I'll post all of my config files:

• .Xresources > https://pastebin.com/yEcWVA15

• .xintric only contains one line

xrdb ~/.Xresources

• .Xdefaults only contains 3 lines.

xterm*metaSendsEscape: true

*metaSendsEscape: true

URxvt.metaSendsEscape: true

• .bashrc > https://pastebin.com/kv4rbXKx

• init.vim > https://pastebin.com/v9c1qW3v

• .i3/config > https://pastebin.com/MnwuyiT0

• .tmux.conf (for good measure. even though the problem persists outside and inside tmux) > https://pastebin.com/MeD8s76x

• .xmodmap > https://pastebin.com/xHkDSXK4

• xev output.

• showkey -s output

xev output:

KeyPress event, serial 34, synthetic NO, window 0x1800001, root 0x51f, subw 0x0, time 27037188, (551,529), root:(3517,576), state 0x0, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 0 bytes: XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 34, synthetic NO, window 0x1800001, root 0x51f, subw 0x0, time 27038381, (551,529), root:(3517,576), state 0x8, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 0 bytes: XFilterEvent returns: False

showkey -s output:

normal keypresses ____________________

0x38

0xb8

0x38 0xb8

0x38

0xb8

0x38

Holding it down ____________________

0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38

0x38

0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0x38 0xb8

Spamming it franticly ____________________

0x38

0xb8

0x38 0xb8 0x38

0xb8 0x38

0xb8 0x38 0xb8 0x38

0xb8 0x38 0xb8 0x38

0xb8 0x38 0xb8 0x38

0xb8 0x38 0xb8 0x38 0xb8

0x38

0xb8

0x38 0xb8

0x38 0xb8

Any suggestions are accepted with incredible enthusiasm, I will try anything, but I am not going to install manjaro again, as it took too much of my time right now. Down the road, I'll probably go back. But for now, Ubuntu.