weyrich (Dr. Orville R. Weyrich) (01/09/91)
I am running DOS MERGE on top of Microport Unix System V/386 rev 3. I would like to be able to run DOS programs from tty terminals rather than the console. I have had limited success using KERMIT or PROCOMM emulating VT-100 on PC's attached to my tty line when running DOS programs. The keys don't map well, the extended character set doesn't map well, and I only have 24 lines emulated. MY QUESTION: Has anyone tried to write a terminal emulator of some sort which runs on a DOS PC and a terminfo entry to match which will allow DOS applications to work properly from remote terminals? Many Thanks for any advice, Orville R. Weyrich, Jr. uunet!weyrich!orville orville%weyrich@uunet.uu.net
dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) (01/10/91)
The problem here is that Merge, in order to correctly emulate the keyboard on a MS-DOS machine, needs 'scancodes' rather than ascii characters. Other- wise, you have to get things like F-keys using escape sequences. Locus, the originator of Merge, has terminfo files for wyse-60, one of televideo's terminals that has a PC mode, and something called a kt70. I've only tried the 'wy60ix' TERM setting. This works surprisingly well. Invoking DOS or any screen oriented DOS application from the command line sends the escape sequence to reconfigure the terminal from 'WYSE-60' to 'PCTERM'. Exiting DOS sets it back. In DOS applications, all normal DOS keystrokes work. (Even CTRL-ALT-DEL works in the sense that it terminates Merge.) Hope this helps. Dan
ward@tsnews.Convergent.COM (Ward Griffiths) (01/10/91)
orville@uunet.uu.net!weyrich (Dr. Orville R. Weyrich) writes: >Has anyone tried to write a terminal emulator of some sort which runs >on a DOS PC and a terminfo entry to match which will allow DOS applications >to work properly from remote terminals? It very much depends on the type of terminals you are using. Hazeltine, Adds, Telivideo are flat out NOT going to work due to their "Standout glitch". Wyse 85's and early 50's, same thing. Wyse 60's, 150's and probably newer terminals will work fine. There are more terminals that will not work than there are that will. Yes, vt100/220 can be made to SORT OF work, but the results are not satisfying. On DOS PC's, I recommend Ice-Ten from the James River Grouip. It does an excellent emulation that works with text-based DOS applications under Merge. Plus the emulation is a hot-key TSR, so you can switch between local DOS/remote Unix-Merge applications instantly. It also provides real easy file transfers both ways via utility programs installed on both the Unix host and the DOS servant. I am not associated with the James River Group, as they are located in a part of the country I wouldn't live in on a bet. But I have used the product, and it does what it is supposed to, and the price is good. (No, I do not have a current price.) They advertise in Unix World, among other places. -- The people that make Unisys' official opinions get paid more. A LOT more. Ward Griffiths, Unisys NCG aka Convergent Technologies =========================================================================== To Hell with "Only One Earth"! Try "At Least One Solar System"! How many years must some people exist, before they're allowed to be free? PP&M If they have to wait until they're allowed, they never will be. Me
les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) (01/16/91)
In article <572@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM> dag@fciva.UUCP (Daniel A. Graifer) writes: >The problem here is that Merge, in order to correctly emulate the keyboard >on a MS-DOS machine, needs 'scancodes' rather than ascii characters. Has anyone built a keymap for DOS kermit to make it emulate one of the scancode terminals? Or is this even possible? Les Mikesell les@chinet.chi.il.us
dag@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM (Daniel A. Graifer) (01/16/91)
In article <1991Jan15.190045.17724@chinet.chi.il.us> les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) writes: >In article <572@fciva.FRANKLIN.COM> dag@fciva.UUCP (Daniel A. Graifer) writes: >>The problem here is that Merge, in order to correctly emulate the keyboard >>on a MS-DOS machine, needs 'scancodes' rather than ascii characters. > >Has anyone built a keymap for DOS kermit to make it emulate one of the >scancode terminals? Or is this even possible? > I don't think this would work. The point of scancodes is that each keystroke sends TWO characters: One for keydown, a latter one for keyup. Thus, sending an upper case 'A' causes FOUR characters to be sent: Shift-a-A-Unshift (The scancodes for the alpha keys happen to be their lowercase equivelents for keydown, and uppercase for key up). This is a much lower level of interaction with the hardware than just getting keystrokes. Note in particular that programs working at this level (such as Merge) have to keep track of the number of times they have seen the CapsLockDown-CapsLockUp sequence, and toggle their capslock bit. The same for NumLock and ScrollLock. It's possible to do this: STSCs APL*PLUS/PC does it for example (and like Merge, it is possible to get the programs internal state variable for the lock keys out of phase with the little LEDs.). I've heard that the DOS terminal emulator PRO-YAM (?) can do scancodes, but I've not seen it. 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
dma@pcssc.com (Dave Armbrust) (01/18/91)
I am using vpix on a IBM 3151 terminal (model 510) which does return scan-codes (i.e. make and break characters for every key stroke). The problem I have is that it does not respond until the second key strokes at times. As an example when using the cursor keys what will happen is the first time you tap the key the cursor does not move the second time the cursor key is pressed it moves twice. Does anyone know what is going on or if anything can be done. I am using SCO Xenix 2.3.3 and a 'plain dumb' serial port /dev/tty2a. Dave Armbrust | uunet!pcssc!dma PC Software Systems | dma@pcssc.com or 4370 S. Tamiami Trail | owner-sco-list@uunet.uu.net Sarasota, FL 34231-3400 | Phone: (813)922-8857 If you put garbage in a computer nothing comes out but garbage. But this garbage, having passed through a very expensive machine, is somehow enobled and none dare criticize it.