Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!kuro From: kuro@vodka.Sun.Com (Teruhiko Kurosaka - Sun Intercon) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: History of TERMCAP Message-ID: Date: 5 Jan 90 02:06:16 GMT Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM Reply-To: kuro@Corp.Sun.Com Distribution: comp Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc, Mt.View, CA, USA Lines: 15 If I remember correctly, the TERMCAP variable was first used to keep an alternative filename of the TERMCAP database to be used instead of the standard /etc/termcap. But today, it is also used to keep the TERMCAP entry for the current terminal, probably in attempt to speed up data retrieval. This is very annoying me because the filename and its contents are two different thing and one variable is used to keep either one. Any way, I just wonder why, when and how this strange practice has started. Does anyone know about it? (Should I ask this kind of question to alt.folklore.computer?) -- ------- T. Kurosaka ("Kuro") --- Sun Microsystems, Intercontinental Operation Internet:kuro@Corp.Sun.Com Voice:+1(415)496-6121/336-5921 Fax:+1(415)858-0284 Mail: Mail Stop A6-18, 1870 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA