dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) (12/18/90)
In article <1990Dec16.143133.25018@nstar.rn.com> larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes: >I have a WD8003E network link between various machines >here at nstar under our domain, and on one of the machines >run Interactive's PC Interface which makes the unix drives >(all 1.5 gigs) into one large C: drive. The problem is >that their emulator which allows me to log in to the UNIX >box is very slow - and uses function keys which I would rather >use for WP running on the UNIX box. Is anyone aware of any >other terminal emulators available that will run over a IP >connection? We also use PC-Interface here to link about 30 10MHz '286 PCs running MS-DOS 3.3 to our SysV unix machines. Great product, but like most terminal emulation over ip packages, it emulates the old vt100, which only had 4 function keys. They developers felt free to use F5-F10 for various emulator control functions. Like you, we wanted the functions keys available for our database applications. We tried both InterCon's TCP/Connect for PCs and PC/TCP from ftpSoftware. Both of these allowed (with much work) the complete redefinition of the keyboard. Since both of these are telnet implementations (ie, they run over tcp/ip) and PC-Interface uses udp/ip, they could theoretically coexist. But, to my knowledge, PC-Interface will only run with Locus' ethernet drivers (we use both WD8003e and Micom NI5210). If Locus would support the Clarkson packet drivers, you'd be in luck; but as it is, you have to use a batch file to switch config.sys files and reboot to change between PCI and the telnet packages. The solution we settled on, which was actually suggested by Locus, was to use a DOS keyboard macro program (we use SuperKey, by Borland I believe), and remap everything they way we wanted it. F1-F4 we left alone, F5-F10 and ShiftF1-ShiftF10 send escape sequences (which we added to the vt100 terminfo and termcap entries), and AltF5-AltF10 are mapped back into the corresponding PC-Interface EMulate functions. Works pretty well; Occasionally, vi or the database will treat an Fkey or an arrow key as separate characters instead of a control sequence, but telnet clients do that too. Terminal Emulation is started by a VT100.BAT file which starts superkey and loads the remap file before running EMulate, and stops superkey afterwards. I just wanted to add, the we think that PC-Interface is a super product. We've looked into switching to Portable Netware or one of the MS-DOS NFS client packages several times, and always end up sticking with the Locus product. I just wish more people new about it so we could be sure it will survive/grow. I am posting this, rather than e-mailing, so more people hear about the product. Oh, I should mention that as we move into X-Window applications, we plan on using their PC-Xsight X-terminal emulator, which is compatible with PC-Interface. I would also like to mention that Gaige Paulson at InterCon was VERY generous with his support while were trying their product. Disclaimer: We have no relationship to Locus Computing, ftpSoftware, or InterCon except as customers. Good luck, Dan
larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) (12/21/90)
larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes: >Hi Dan - we've decided to to with NCSA Telnet which I've been told >runs excellent along with PCI (plus it's free). Thanks for the info -- We have NCSA Telnet here on ash.rn.com - and it works just dandy communicating with networked machines both as telnet and ftp - but we have a problem getting the function keys in the telnet mode to work correctly with Word Perfect 5.0 (running on the 386/ix Unix box) -- Larry Snyder, Northern Star Communications, Notre Dame, IN USA {larry@nstar.rn.com, uunet!nstar!larry, larry%nstar@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu} backbone usenet newsfeeds available Public Access Unix Site (219) 289-0282 (5 high speed lines)
dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) (12/22/90)
In article <1990Dec21.013134.29423@nstar.rn.com> larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes: >larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes: > >>Hi Dan - we've decided to to with NCSA Telnet which I've been told >>runs excellent along with PCI (plus it's free). Thanks for the info -- There's either been some garbling of quotations, or I never got some posting between my posting and this one from Larry. My posting lauding PC-Interface has produced considerable e-mail traffic. I hope I've been of help to all of you. The above comment from Larry reminds me to emphasize one item. Locus, at least at the 2.8.7 release we are using, uses their own udp/ip ethernet drivers. These appear to be incompatible with other software. We tried both PC/TCP from ftpSoftware and TCP/Connect (PC version) from Intercon with no success. I don't know if NCSA telnet will work or not, but I would tend to doubt it. Note that you don't generally need telnet if you're running PCI, as PCI comes with it's own terminal emulator. If necessary use the PCI EM program to log onto your PCI host, then use the host's telnet to reach a non-PCI host. This was with Micom NI5210 ethernet cards. We have a WD8003e, but we didn't try it. If anybody has had better luck mixing either the commercial telnet packages above or NCSA with PC-Interface, please let me know. Dan --- Daniel A. Graifer Coastal Capital Funding Corp. Sr. Vice President, Financial Systems 7900 Westpark Dr. Suite A-130 (703)821-3244 McLean, VA 22102 uunet!fciva!dag fciva.FRANKCAP.COM!dag@uunet.uu.net
larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) (12/22/90)
dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) writes: >Locus, at least at the 2.8.7 release we are using, uses their own udp/ip >ethernet drivers. These appear to be incompatible with other software. We >tried both PC/TCP from ftpSoftware and TCP/Connect (PC version) from Intercon >with no success. I don't know if NCSA telnet will work or not, but I would >tend to doubt it. Note that you don't generally need telnet if you're running >PCI, as PCI comes with it's own terminal emulator. If necessary use the >PCI EM program to log onto your PCI host, then use the host's telnet to reach >a non-PCI host. >This was with Micom NI5210 ethernet cards. We have a WD8003e, but we >didn't try it. If anybody has had better luck mixing either the commercial >telnet packages above or NCSA with PC-Interface, please let me know. We have WD8003e boards - and NSCA Telnet runs just fine along with PCI. We boot on a floppy, load PCI and run NSCA Telnet from the C: drive which is actually on the unix file system running PCI. The only problem that I have - is that function keys aren't correctly working under telnet - but I assume that is simply handled in the remapping (and I haven't had time to look into it).. -- Larry Snyder, Northern Star Communications, Notre Dame, IN USA {larry@nstar.rn.com, uunet!nstar!larry, larry%nstar@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu} backbone usenet newsfeeds available Public Access Unix Site (219) 289-0282 (5 high speed lines)
dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) (12/23/90)
In article <1990Dec22.135830.25645@nstar.rn.com> larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes: >dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) writes: Dan>Locus, [...] uses their own udp/ip ethernet drivers. These appear to be Dan>incompatible with other software. [...] I don't know if NCSA telnet will Dan>work or not, but I would tend to doubt it. ... Larry>We have WD8003e boards - and NSCA Telnet runs just fine along with PCI. What version of PC-Interface are you running? We're on 2.8.7, which I believe was a special interim release by Locus for Prime. Locus fixed a bunch of stuff in later releases, but I haven't been able to convince Prime to catch up. Dan