finton@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (david.j.finton) (04/15/91)
I need a terminfo file for the Wyse 50. I have a termcap, but I don't know how to convert it to terminfo. (In fact, I don't know the difference between them, other than that the UNIX people here tell me I need a terminfo, not a termcap, and there's no Wyse 50 entry in the default files). While I'm asking about the Wyse 50 ... is it possible to use a printer with this terminal remotely connected to a mainframe? That is, I use the terminal to modem into work; can I have the terminal send its output to a printer here at home rather than displaying the output on the screen? The manual hints at such capabilities, but was pretty cryptic. --David Finton ihlpb.att.com!finton
patrick@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick A. Townson) (04/21/91)
In article <1991Apr15.132522.17633@cbfsb.att.com> finton@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (david.j.finton) writes: > While I'm asking about the Wyse 50 ... is it possible to use a > printer with this terminal remotely connected to a mainframe? > That is, I use the terminal to modem into work; can I have the > terminal send its output to a printer here at home rather than > displaying the output on the screen? The manual hints at such > capabilities, but was pretty cryptic. Indeed you can. It is very easy to do. From the printer port on the back of the Wyse-50, run your connector to a serial-to-parallel converter (assuming your printer is parallel). Set the dip switches on the p/s converter tp 19,200 baud. From the menu on the Wyse 50 screen, set the printer port to 19,200 also. From the p/s converter, send the output to a buffer box of some sort. I use the 'Black Box Nini-Print Spooler', which stores 64 K at a time. That is plenty of space. Shoving stuff from the Wyse to the spool at 19,200 baud makes it virtually transparent to you unlike slower speeds where the terminal will keep issuing xon/xoff to the mainframe trying to keep up with the flow. From the spool (and typically, a 64 K spool will be adequate; get 128 K if you really plan a large dump), send it to the printer. Issue the desired printer commands (i.e. italics, bold face, setting of margins, etc) right from the Wyse keyboard. The printer port commands from the Wyse 50 terminal are handled by the print/send key on the right end of the second row of keys on the keyboard. SEND is used to send the screen (from the cursor to the end of the screen) to the mainframe. PRINT (shifting the 'send' key) sends the screen (from the cursor to the end of the screen) out the printer port ==> parallel/serial converter ==> spool ==> printer. [CONTROL] PRINT (control + shifted send key) is a toggle. First it turns on a continuous dump to the printer of whatever comes in (or is send out by yourself. In other words the printer will sit there and capture your session. Second use of the key turns off the continuous dumping. Third time turns it back on, etc. The mainframe can also turn your printer on and off or dump specific screens, by sending these characters: CONTROL-R Printer on for continuous dump (Control + Shift Print) CONTROL-T Printer off (second time toggling of Cntl + Shift Print) CONTROL-P Print just the current screen ESC-L or ESC-p Print all unformatted ESC-@ Print only the 'unprotected' areas of the screen. Where you *might* run into a hassle is with issuing the above control characters and escape sequences from the keyboard while in full duplex mode. If your mainframe doesn't like those things, or will not send them back to you, etc ... I use some aliases here which send them so if I say 'print-on' my script sends me back a Control-R, as an example. If you really are interested in some versatility, I have both an Epson MX-80 printer and a 'letter quality' printer (actually, it is a very old IBM Selectric which has been adapted) hooked up. An A/B switch says which printer to send the output to from the spool. So if I wanted to, I could use an editor at my site (i.e. emacs, or whatever you use), write letters or other reports, articles, etc ... edit them up as I want then turn on the printer here and tell the editor to dump them back to me, or get the file finished, save it and then cat <file> with the printer here turned on. I hope these hints help you a little. Patrick Townson -- Patrick Townson patrick@chinet.chi.il.us / ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu / US Mail: 60690-1570 FIDO: 115/743 / AT&T Mail: 529-6378 (!ptownson) / MCI Mail: 222-4956