RE: TAB key to insert tab character

[Drew Adams]

> I have the TAB key doing exactly what I want when editing C or Lisp 
> programs but I can't get it to do what I want in TEXT or FUNDAMENTAL 
> modes.  I did try to get rid of my .gnu-emacs-custom file 
> temporarily to 
> verify that none of my other customizations were causing the problem.
> 
> What is happening is that when I hit the TAB key it inserts a 
> number of 
> spaces to line the cursor up with the second word of the previous 
> sentence.  What I want (in TEXT & FUNDAMENTAL modes) is for 
> the TAB key 
> to just add a TAB.  Not an equivalent number of spaces for a 
> TAB or to 
> line it up with the previous line's second word - just add a 
> single TAB 
> character.

See option `indent-tabs-mode'.