scott@max.u.washington.edu (03/14/90)
This post is for C64/C128 users accessing VAX/VMS and Unix systems at the University of Washington using the Kermit V2.2 terminal program. But this post/program may also apply to other universities. Many of you who use Kermit2.2 to access the different system of our univerisity may have encounter some incomparability with the screen emulation. Eventhough Kermit offers VT100 and VT52 emulation, it doesn't quit seems to be the right one, especially when using our university's most popular editor H19 (VI and SK are only know around the hardcore engineer and compsci circles but out side that elite group H19 dominates and rightfully so). H19 is an editor that is easy to learn, powerful enough for advance users and simple enough for beginners, and most of all it is forgiving. And thus to be able to fully access this editor with Kermit2.2 (thus from home) will be a great asset. Your first experience of accessing H19 with your Kermit2.2 terminal program would have been one of incomparability. Screen will not clear as it suppose to or the text will not scroll down or up correctly.... Well, this is not the fault of the editor, but instead its default setting. Since H19 expects to be used from a Heath or Zenith terminal, which is the usual case, its default mode of operation is Heath. However H19 is comparable with many other terminal types including VT100 and VT52. Here is how to set ther right terminal mode for Unix and VAX/VMS systems. When accessing BLAKE or MILTON Unix systems, to set the proper terminal mode is a cinch. After the loging in username and password, it will prompt you for a terminal type. Enter vt100 (or if you prefer vt52). This will change both the system and H19 to the proper terminal mode of operation. When accessing MAX, VAX1 or MAVEN Vax/VMS systems, the setting of the terminal mode is a bit more complicated. So to make things simpler I wrote a DCL program that you can place at the end of your LOGIN.COM file. LOGIN.COM is a file that the system will first search (and if found) execute everytime you first log in to your account. If you don't have a LOGIN.COM file, then just extract this file from the newsgroup and name it as LOGIN.COM. Then use the H19 editor (of course) to delete all the lines above "cut here" and your set. If you don't want to bother with this, just send me an E-mail and I will personally send you a copy of the below LOGIN.COM file. Now, being able to set the proper terminal type, you will finally be able to to post a message to the newsgroup (UseNet) from home with no major hazards!!! Well, that is all, may your day be a productive one and have fun making it so.... Sincerely, Scott K. Stephen --------------------------------- cut here ---------------------------------- $! DCL PROGRAM: Mode Selector $! AUTHOR : Scott K. Stephen $! DATE : March 13, 1990 $! INSTITUTION: University of Washington -- Seattle, WA, USA $! SYSTEM : VAX/VMS Systems (MAX, VAX1, MAVEN) $! $! COMMENTS1 : This is a DCL program for the VAX/VMS system of the U of W $! that enables you to select the terminal mode of operation $! upon access of your account in the systerm. The ability $! to select the desired terminal mode is very helpful $! since different terminals-programs on your computer offers $! different emulations. And also sometimes you will be using $! the "real" terminals in the university to access the system $! and not via your home computer. The "real" terminals expects $! Heath mode, which is the default terminal-mode of the system. $! To use this program, incorporate this DCL program into your $! LOGIN.COM file (if you don't have a LOGIN.COM file, just $! create one and place this DCL program in it). Now next time $! you log on to your account it will ask you to select one of $! three modes. Enter 1 for normal (heath) mode, 2 for VT100, or $! 3 for VT52. $! $! COMMENTS2 : For many C64/C128 user who have been using the Kermit terminal $! program to access the VAX/VMS systems you may have encountered $! difficulties in using the H19 editor. At first glance it may $! appear that this editor is not compatible with VT100 or VT52 $! which are the two terminal emulations offered by Kermit. $! So is it hopeless case if you want to use H19 with C64/C128? $! Not by a long shot! H19 (by the way my favory editor) is fully $! compatible with number of different terminals including the $! VT100 and VT52. It is just that its default setting is Heath $! mode since most people uses this editor from an Heath "real" $! terminal. With the below code in your LOGIN.COM, however, you $! will be able to select the appropriate terminal mode that you $! what H19 to operate in. $! $! COMMENTS3 : This DCL program was written for the VAX/VMS systems of U of W. $! However, this doesn't mean that the VMS system of other $! unCversities doesn't have similar features (perhaps the $! very same and the same H19 editor). So give this program a $! try. $! $! $! $ write sys$output " " $ write sys$output " " $ inquire mode "Do you want [1]=Normal, [2]=VT100, or [3]=VT52 mode? " $! $ vt52mode: $ if (mode.ne."3") then goto vt100mode $ write sys$output " " $ write sys$output "Setting to VT52 terminal mode" $ write sys$output " " $ set term/dev=vt52 $ h19 :== h19/init=uw$exe:vt52.h19 $ exit $! $ vt100mode: $ if (mode.ne."2") then goto normalmode $ write sys$output " " $ write sys$output "Setting to VT100 terminal mode" $ write sys$output " " $ set term/dev=vt100 $ h19 :== h19/init=uw$exe:vt100.h19 $ exit $ normalmode: $ write sys$output " " $ write sys$output "Setting to normal terminal mode" $ write sys$output " " $ exit