[comp.unix.xenix] VT100 emulator for PCs

mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark D. Freeman) (03/17/88)

I need a perfect VT100 emulator, to be used to run Microsoft Word and
SCO Professional on an SCO XENIX system.  Crosstalk is either too slow
or too stupid (I can't tell), and the first release of Mirror is not
lots better.  MS-KERMIT 2.30 is good, but eats the page-up and
page-down keys, which I need to implement for their intended use.

The emulator I seek should be able to pass through unique codes for all
10 function keys, as well as all keys on the control pad (Home, End,
PgUp, PgDn, Ins, Del).  Yes, I know that a vt100 only has 4 function
keys.  However my client need to use all 10 to run his software the way
he's used to.

Personally, I use kermit.  However, I can't find any way to disable
that screen rolling feature and let the PgUp and PgDn keys through to
the host.

Any ideas?



-- 
Mark D. Freeman						  (614) 262-1418
					      mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
2440 Medary Avenue	   ...!cbosgd!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mdf
Columbus, OH  43202-3014      Guest account at The Ohio State University

emv@panchovilla.cc.umich.edu (Edward Vielmetti) (03/17/88)

In article <8434@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark D. Freeman) writes:
>
>I need a perfect VT100 emulator, to be used to run Microsoft Word and
>SCO Professional on an SCO XENIX system.  Crosstalk is either too slow
>or too stupid (I can't tell), and the first release of Mirror is not
>lots better.  MS-KERMIT 2.30 is good, but eats the page-up and
>page-down keys, which I need to implement for their intended use.

here's how you set up ms-kermit 2.30 to send out a unique code from the
page-up key.  I'll have it send out Hi, Mom as an example.
 
Kermit-MS>show key
Push key to be shown (? shows all): <pg up>
 Scan Code \329 decimail is defined as
 Verb: upscn  \Kupscn
 Free space: ...
 
Kermit-MS>set key \329 {Hi, Mom}
Kermit-MS>set key \329 {\27OZ}     send escape - O - Z

that should do you fine.

reeder@ut-emx.UUCP (William P. Reeder) (03/18/88)

In article <8434@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark D. Freeman) writes:
> Personally, I use kermit.  However, I can't find any way to disable
> that screen rolling feature and let the PgUp and PgDn keys through to
> the host.
> 
> Any ideas?
Sure, Kermit lets you redifine (almost) all of the keys on the keyboard.
Do the following:

1) at the "KERMIT-MS>" prompt type "show key" followed by a carriage return.
You will be asked to press a key, hit the PgUp key and you will be told
both the scan code for that key and the current string assigned to it, if
any.
2) type "set key scan <nn>" where <nn> is the scan code reported in step 1, 
(again followed by a carriage return), you will be prompted for a string.
Type in the codes that you want that key to send.  Octal values can be
indicated by \ddd, where ddd is the octal value of the character.
3) repeat steps 1 and 2 for any other keys.

> Mark D. Freeman						  (614) 262-1418

-- 
William {Wills,Card,Weekly,Virtual} Reeder	reeder@emx.utexas.edu

Scholars who study dinosaurs say there were some smart dinosaurs and lots
of stupid dinosaurs.  Those smart dinosaurs came along early, but in the
survival wars, please note, the stupid dinosaurs won.

DISCLAIMER:	I speak only for myself, and usually only to myself.

romwa@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Mark Dornfeld) (03/19/88)

I am using Procomm Plus with SCO Professional over a 2400 baud
modem line and the vt102 emulation has not failed.  Procomm
allows you to configure the function keys just about any way
you'd like, so you are able to get the complete vt102 keyboard
on the PC.

Alternatively, Persoft in Madison Wisconsin has the best vtxxx
emulators available on the commercial market.  ST240 emulates
vt100, vt220, vt240, Regis Graphics, and Tek 4015.  It's a big
program, so you may want to look at Persoft's Smartmove, a
vt100 emulator.  It's cheaper ($150 I think) and is very
solid.  All of their products support 132 column mode via
scrolling--something Procomm does not have.  This makes SCO
Professional look pretty good on a PC since the scrolling is
quick and locally controlled.

Mark T. Dornfeld
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queens Park
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
M5S 2C6

mark@utgpu!rom      - or -     romwa@utgpu

romwa@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Mark Dornfeld) (03/19/88)

Where can one get Kermit-MS?

Mark T. Dornfeld
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queens Park
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
M5S 2C6

mark@utgpu!rom      - or -     romwa@utgpu

kevinr@june.cs.washington.edu (Kevin Ross) (03/21/88)

I have been using PC-VT, which is an excellent shareware type program from
Mark DiVecchio. It seems to be a very accurate vt100 emulation. Supports
xmodem and kermit file transfers. I have been using it at 9600 baud for 
months, and it performs flawlessly. 

You can get a copy from:

Mark DiVecchio
9067 Hillery Drive
San Diego, CA  92126

Send a blank 360k disk, and a self-addressed stamped mailer. 
The shareware price is $35.00, and is optional. It is an excellent 
program, and well worth the $35.00.

Kevin Ross
kevinr@june.cs.washington.edu
..uw-beaver!june!kevinr

terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry) (03/25/88)

In article <8434@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark D. Freeman) writes:
> 
> I need a perfect VT100 emulator, to be used to run Microsoft Word and
> SCO Professional on an SCO XENIX system.

I talked the the person who wrote the terminal information files for the
Microsoft word and suggested some corrections.  As they sat a while ago, it
wouldn't work quite right except with real old (first run) VT100's.  I think
they've fixed it by now.  She was pretty on the ball.  The problem centered
around the information file making the assumption (valid on a VT200 or above
emulating a VT100) that the secondary character set was by default a US ASCII
set (it's not; it's the box-drawing graphics set).  Consequently, the secondary
set was left alone and the primary set was turned into the graphics set via the
old `ESC (0` in their initialization sequence.  The fix was to swap every
occurance of `\017` and `\016` in the file and change the initialization from
including `ESC (0` to including `ESC (B ESC )0`.  The `ESC )0` will make it
work on terminals that incorrectly emulate the secondary set, such as a VT200
or Altos III.

> Crosstalk is either too slow or too stupid (I can't tell),

Actually Crosstalk will sorta work if you torture the AM equivalent in the file
and lie about it (the same problem as exists with most curses).  Crosstalk wraps
after character 80, not before character 81, which is wrong.  I have also heard
complaints about the graphic characters, and that it is not a very faithful
emulation, depending on the version you have.

> and the first release of Mirror is not lots better.

Never played with it, myself.

> MS-KERMIT 2.30 is good, but eats the page-up and page-down keys, which I
> need to implement for their intended use.

Unfortunately, most communications programs can't fully remap the keyboard.

> The emulator I seek should be able to pass through unique codes for all
> 10 function keys, as well as all keys on the control pad (Home, End,
> PgUp, PgDn, Ins, Del).  Yes, I know that a vt100 only has 4 function
> keys.  However my client need to use all 10 to run his software the way
> he's used to.
> 
> Any ideas?

[Begin Ad]

TERM, our product, emulates a VT100 correctly to the point of allowing full
use of LSE on a VAX (not an easy thing to do).  Currently, the DOS box on my
desk (OH MY GOD!  Terry has a _WHAT_ on his desk?) is connected via hard wire
to an Intel-motherboard based 386 system running SCO.  We have SCO PRO, and it
works fine.  In addition, we have quite a number of customers using TERM with
Microsoft Word, both in VT100 mode and DOS ANSI mode, although VT100 mode is
preferred, as it allows transparent printing using the DOS printer.

All keyboard keys are remappable, including Func, Ctrl-Func, Shft-Func,
Alt-Func, Alt A-Z, All regular alphabetic (in case you are a Dvorak fan or
whatever), all control keys, and the keypad keys.  To define additional
function keys, you'd want to move our functions off the main keys so as to
free them up, then logically extend the keys.  Since PF1-PF4 is \E[P-\E[S,
logically, you would use \E[T-\E[Y.  You would then have to tell the termcap
and Microsoft terminal information file about the new definitions.  The same
can be done for the PGUP and PGDN, etc keys:

TERMCAP:
	:k0=\E[P:k1=\E[Q:k2=\E[R:k3=\E[S:k4=\E[T:k5=\E[U:\
	:k6=\E[V:k7=\E[W:k8=\E[X:k9=\E[Y:pn=\E[6~:\
	...

TERM:
	setkey af1 menu			! make ALT F1 the menu key
	setkey af2 help			! make ALT F2 the help key
	setkey af3 gold			! make ALT F3 the gold key
	setkey af4 shell		! make ALT F4 the DOS "hotkey"
	setkey af5 capture		! make ALT F5 the capture toggle key
	setkey af6 print		! make F6 send what termcap expects
	setkey f5 "\E[T"
	...
	setkey f10 "\E[Y"
	setkey next "\E[6~"		! make PGDN send VT200 "Next Screen"

Personally, I prefer defining them so they'll work in VI, but if you can have
VI, Microsoft Word is the next best thing ;-).

	Talk to someone at (801)-268-3088.

	PS:  The reason you don't see us advertised in DOS mag's is that we
	don't... our primary market is UNIX... We *EMULATE* 9 terminals there,
	VMS, BTOS, CTOS, Macintosh, and DOS, too.  Soon to be 10, as I am
	currently putting the finishing touches on 3101; HAD to have the block
	mode work, too :-).  This isn't any of that garbagy 'CU' stuff, either.
	Our VT100 emulation works on a Wyse 50, including scroll regions, which
	the '50 doesn't have, since we are termcap/termlib driven on UNIX :-).

[End Ad]


| Terry Lambert           UUCP: ...{ decvax, ihnp4 }                          |
| @ Century Software          : ...utah-cs!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wsccs!terry    |
| SLC, Utah                                                                   |
|                   These opinions are not my companies, but if you find them |
|                   useful, send a $20.00 donation to Brisbane Australia...   |
| 'There are monkey boys in the facility.  Do not be alarmed; you are secure' |

mike@ists (Mike Clarkson) (03/28/88)

In article <381@wsccs.UUCP>, terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry) writes:
> In article <8434@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark D. Freeman) writes:
> > 
> > I need a perfect VT100 emulator, to be used to run Microsoft Word and
> > SCO Professional on an SCO XENIX system.
> >
> > MS-KERMIT 2.30 is good, but eats the page-up and page-down keys, which I
> > need to implement for their intended use.
> 
> Unfortunately, most communications programs can't fully remap the keyboard.

RFTM. Look at the section on (you guessed it) SET KEY and SHOW KEY.  You can
remap any key with MSKERMIT to be anything you like.  I remap to make the
page up/down, home/end key send what Emacs wants them to send.  Put something
in the MSKERMIT.INI file like

set key \337 \22
set key \329 \{27}v
set key \335 \{27}>
set key \327 \{27}<
set key \339 \4
set key \338 {\27 }

and you're all set for Emacs.  Roll you own for you're own individual 
application or requirements.


-- 
Mike Clarkson						mike@ists.UUCP
Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science
York University, North York, Ontario,
CANADA M3J 1P3						(416) 736-5611