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From: aem@ibiza.Miami.Edu (a.e.mossberg)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: terminfo vs. termcap
Keywords: Why do we need two different terminal capability widgets?
Message-ID: <1312@umbio.MIAMI.EDU>
Date: 23 Jan 89 21:40:06 GMT
References: <6966@june.cs.washington.edu> <358@tcsc3b2.UUCP>
Sender: netnews@umbio.MIAMI.EDU
Reply-To: aem@Mthvax.Miami.Edu (a.e.mossberg)
Organization: University of Miami Hertz Lab, Coral Gables, FL
Lines: 19

In <358@tcsc3b2.UUCP>, <pag@tcsc3b2.UUCP> wrote:
>The older /etc/termcap file was used in earlier days of UNIX for the 
>definition of terminal characteristics, but has been replaced with the 
>terminfo database because the latter is quicker and more efficient to 
>process by curses(3X) than the /etc/termcap file.  The only reason that
>the /etc/termcap is still around is to retain compatibility with older
>software that still uses the /etc/termcap file for the definition of
>terminal capabilities.  Someday, AT&T will probably go through with their
>threat of removing the /etc/termcap file from future releases of UNIX V.

/etc/termcap is BSD.  AT&T came up with a compiled version which loads
somewhat faster, and uses very similar source files. Most, if not all, BSD
systems use /etc/termcap. Terminfo is used by Sys V and derivatives (A/IX,
A/UX, etc).


aem
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