Termcap in Linux

[Jay R. Ashworth]

On Sun, Mar 23, 2003 at 07:36:02PM -0500, Bob Stockler wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 23, 2003 at 04:50:50PM -0500, Tom Lansing wrote:
> | I am experimenting with the Linux demo and have found the system to
> | really kick ass! Problem is with the termcap. VT-102 has good graphics
> | (except for end of line marks), but has no cursor arrows. Linux termcap
> | has cursor arrows but no graphics. Same thing with some other
> | termcaps.What should I do in the/etc/profile file or some other
> | configuration file to activate the cursor keys (and delete key) or where
> | should I go to assure that I can properly display graphics.
> | 
> | The graphics problem is the same when I connect remotely in a UNIX box
> | using minicam.
> | 
> | Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!
> 
> You didn't mention the flavor of Linux you were using.
> 
> I have the filePro Linux Demo on Red Hat 7.2 and find it works
> well from a console multiscreen, but not from a KDE X-window.
> 
> I think I had to edit the filePro termcap for Linux to be
> GZ=\376 -vs- GZ="" to get a proper EOF marker -vs- "?".
> 
> Also works OK using "linux" as the terminal type via Anzio Lite
> from Windows Me over a network.

To recap a discussion we had on this roughly a month ago -- if you're
accessing filePro from a Linux text console, you're fine -- all
versions of filePro now ship (correct me if I'm wrong, Ken) with a
termcap file that includes a working 'linux' entry.

The problem comes when you a) use a windowing system or b) telnet in
from a remote machine, or c) all of the above.  The only thing filepro
gets in that circumetance is 'xterm' -- and there's as much variance in
that as there *used* to be in 'ansi' before everyone gave up and
assumed that ansi == scoansi.

So, if you're going to do that, you're going to have to either a) tune
your xterm entry to whichever xterm you use most, or b) copy the entry
to xterm-WHATEVER, and tune that -- and the latter is safer.
(Most xterm emulators will let you configure what TERM string they
should send to the other end -- and this is pertinent even if you're
running the emulator and the underlying shell on the same machine.)

If it really bugs you that they're all so different, then create
patches for the ones you like less to make the behave like the one you
like most (for me, it's konsole, since I'm a KDE guy), and voila! (or
is that spelled 'walla!' :-) your problem's solved.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                                                jra at baylink.com
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