Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!att!fang!tarpit!bilver!bill
From: bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: wanted: UNIX or clone
Message-ID: <1991May5.051221.24507@bilver.uucp>
Date: 5 May 91 05:12:21 GMT
References: <24@metran.UUCP> <1991May4.125515.8831@pegasus.com> <26@metran.UUCP>
Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL
Lines: 45

In article <26@metran.UUCP> jay@metran.UUCP (Jay Ts) writes:

>In article <1991May4.125515.8831@pegasus.com>, richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) writes:

>> >WP comes with it's own terminal description database, with it's own (often
>> >very different from the OS's default) names for terminal types.  For
>> >instance, WP uses "scocons" and "scoconscol" as the type names for the
>> >SCO console term emulation.

But you defind the Word Perfect terms with the variable WPTERM, so there
isn't much of a conflict.  Just have to write a little script to check on
console login or not.

>> I'll bet their termcrap database is some inscrutable binary format just
>> to keep mere mortals away.
 
>Actually, I thought it worth mentioning that supporting terminals used
>with WordPerfect is another thing to watch out for.  I don't have the
>WordPerfect docs handy, but as I remember it, WordPerfect includes its
>own terminal support, so before you buy WordPerfect to use with your
>pet ADM-3a, you had better call them and ask if they support it.  Just
>having a terminfo description is not enough.

Well I had to get a system running that had no terminal support for the
terminal we HAD to use (it was a dual protocol terminal that supported a
polled mainframe environment on one port, and an ascii terminal on the
Xenix ports. It was close to a standard vt100, but not quite close enough.
Luckily the client was upgrading from the 4.2 on Xenix to the 5.0. 
I Just used the terminal data base editor that came with 4.2 but was not
on our copy of 5.0 (got it the week of release - because that's what the
client wanted - argh!). I understand the terminal editor  is now shipping
with the current disk.

Copy a description that is close, and go to town.  If you have to rely on a
manufacturer to do terminal handlers right (whether it's termcap or
terminfo, or their own variation) you are going to have some severe
disappointments.

I have found out that if you have more than one application on a machine
the chances are high that something is going to have to be modified.
If you have more than 3 I almost guarantee it.

-- 
Bill Vermillion - UUCP: uunet!tarpit!bilver!bill
                      : bill@bilver.UUCP