mather@uicsl.UUCP (11/05/84)
Anybody out there got a termcap entry for the DEC vt220/240 terminals that is in vt200 7 bit mode ?? The vt100 emulator mode works with the vt100 termcap entries, but we would like to try some of the newer functions (and function keys). Also, I guess a terminal driver for emacs would need to be written to take into account some to the differences (for one, there is no ESC key in vt200 mode and you have to type cntl-3 (or cntl-[) to get it. Also, is the 8 bit mode of the 200 terminals useful under UN*X or emacs ?? Anybody out there using the downloadable character set facility?? Is it a bother that the downloadable function keys have to be accessed with the shift key ?? Do people use it's ReGis graphics mode? I'd like to see some discussion about these terminals. Is there another discussion group that would be more appropriate? b.c.mather uiucdcs!uicsl!mather
BINDE@RU-BLUE.ARPA (11/09/84)
The following appeared on INFO-TERMS@MIT-MC this summer: 8-Jul-84 22:22:22-EDT,2339;000000000000 Return-Path: <@MIT-MC:OC.GARLAND@CU20B> Received: from MIT-MC by RUTGERS.ARPA with TCP; 8 Jul 84 22:22:15 EDT Received: from CU20B by CUCS20 with DECnet; 8 Jul 84 22:15:25 EDT Date: Sun 8 Jul 84 22:15:02-EDT From: Richard Garland <OC.GARLAND%CU20B@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA> Subject: VT240 update To: JMSK@MIT-MC.ARPA, IRA@WASHINGTON.ARPA cc: Info-Terms@MIT-MC.ARPA, OC.GARLAND%CU20B@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA Some months ago I inquired about some problems with some then new VT241's. Here the story now: The inability to use the full screen in REGIS mode was my fault - or maybe the documentation's fault. I was doing some scaling and the firm- ware did some rounding. The VT125 documentation warns of this. Generally the VT125 manual is better than the VT240 manuals. Problems: Tektronix mode only writes 71 (not 72) characters across the screen and the 72nd always wraps to the next line. This breaks a lot of programs. At DECUS the DEC terminal man said they knew of this and would fix it. Tektronix mode isn't my favortie but there is a ton of software for it and we need it to be right. Character writeing is slow. Maybe faster than the VT125 but slow. Graphics drawing and erasing is slow. Slower than the VT125 I'm sure. REGIS firmware bugs - we've noticed bugs such that sequences like Draw A to B, erase B to A will fail depending on speed or whether you follow the erase by another draw. Definite problems here. Other erase failures depending on angle of line. We can work around these by fudging the regis programming. 4 colors is 3 colors is not enough. (the background counts as 1). I would have thought with the price of memory (especially SLOW stuff they must use) they could have used 8 colors. Why on earth can't they get 480 vertical resolution in this day and age. The color tube they use is super and with a new product such as this I can't see why we're stuck with what the VT100 had 5 years ago (240 vertical). You can't use ^S and ^Q when the terminal does flow control. A big departure from the VT100 and once again shows that those who design these things don't use them. Positives: Cheap, reliable, good service. Printer port can print the graphics onto a LA50 at the touch of a button (a real win in my opinion). Rg ------- I would also appreciate VT240 information.... Thank you. -------