Text-Terminal-HOWTO

David S. Lawyer mailto:dave at lafn.org

1. Introduction

• 1.1 Copyright, Trademarks, Disclaimer, & Credits
• 1.2 Future Plans: You Can Help
• 1.3 New Versions of this HOWTO
• 1.4 Related HOWTOs, etc.
• 1.5 Terminology Used in this Document
• 1.6 What is a Terminal ?
• 1.7 What is a Text-Terminal ?

2. Types of Terminals

• 2.1 Dumb Terminals
• 2.2 Text Terminals
• 2.3 Graphic GUI Capabilities of Text Terminals

3. Thin Clients Terminals

• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 MS Window terminals
• 3.3 Emulation on a PC

4. Quick Install

5. Why Use a Terminal ?

• 5.1 Intro to Why Use a Terminal
• 5.2 Lower Hardware Costs ?
• 5.3 Control of Software
• 5.4 Hardware Upgrades
• 5.5 Other Advantages of Terminals
• 5.6 Major Disadvantages of Terminals
• 5.7 Are Text Terminals Obsolete ?

6. Overview of How Terminals Work (in Linux)

• 6.1 Device Names
• 6.2 Login/Logout
• 6.3 Half/Full Duplex
• 6.4 Terminal Memory
• 6.5 Commands for the Terminal
• 6.6 Lack of Standardization Solved by Terminfo
• 6.7 The Interface
• 6.8 Emulation
• 6.9 The Console

7. Terminal Special Files such as /dev/tty

• 7.1 Serial Port Terminals
• 7.2 Pseudo Terminals
• 7.3 The Controlling Terminal /dev/tty
• 7.4 /dev/ttyIN "Terminals"
• 7.5 The Console: ttyN or vc/N
• 7.6 Creating a Device with "mknod"

8. Some Details on How Terminals Work

• 8.1 Terminal Memory Details
• 8.2 Early Terminals
• 8.3 Escape Sequences and Control Codes (intro)
• 8.4 Display Attributes & Magic Cookies

9. Special Features of Some Terminals

• 9.1 Color
• 9.2 Multiple Sessions
• 9.3 Printer/Auxiliary Port
• 9.4 Pages
• 9.5 Character-Sets
• 9.6 Fonts
• 9.7 Keyboards & Special Keys
• 9.8 Mouse

10. Terminal Emulation (including the Console)

• 10.1 Intro to Terminal Emulation
• 10.2 Don't Try to Use TERM Variable for Emulation
• 10.3 Serial Communication (Dialing) programs
• 10.4 Testing Terminal Emulation
• 10.5 The Linux Console
• 10.6 Emulation Software

11. Flow Control (Handshaking)

• 11.1 Why Is Flow Control Needed ?
• 11.2 Padding
• 11.3 Overrunning a Serial Port
• 11.4 Stop Sending
• 11.5 Keyboard Lock
• 11.6 Resume Sending
• 11.7 Hardware Flow Control (RTS/CTS etc.)
• 11.8 Is Hardware Flow Control Done by Hardware ?
• 11.9 Obsolete ?? ETX/ACK or ENQ/ACK Flow Control

12. Physical Connection

• 12.1 Introduction
• 12.2 Multiport I/O Cards (Adapters)
• 12.3 Direct Serial Cable Connection.
• 12.4 Modem Connection
• 12.5 Telnet and ssh
• 12.6 Terminal Server Connection
• 12.7 Connector and Adapter Types
• 12.8 Making or Modifying a Cable

13. Set-Up (Configure) in General

• 13.1 Intro to Set-Up
• 13.2 Terminal Set-Up (Configure) Overview
• 13.3 Computer Set-Up (Configure) Overview
• 13.4 Many Options
• 13.5 Communication Interface Options
• 13.6 Quick Attempt

14. Terminal Set-Up (Configure) Details

• 14.1 Send Escape Sequences to the Terminal
• 14.2 Older Terminals Set-Up
• 14.3 Getting Into Set-Up (Configuration) Mode
• 14.4 Communication Options
• 14.5 Saving the Set-up
• 14.6 Set-Up Options/Parameters
• 14.7 Emulation {Personality} {{Terminal Modes}}
• 14.8 Display Options
• 14.9 Page Related Options
• 14.10 Reporting and Answerback
• 14.11 Keyboard Options
• 14.12 Meaning of Received Control Codes
• 14.13 Where New Text Goes
• 14.14 Function Keys
• 14.15 Block Mode Options
• 14.16 Locks
• 14.17 Screen Saver {Scrn Saver}
• 14.18 Printer

15. Computer Set-Up (Configure) Details

• 15.1 Getty (used in /etc/inittab)
• 15.2 Stty & Setserial
• 15.3 Setserial
• 15.4 Stty
• 15.5 Terminfo & Termcap (brief)
• 15.6 Setting TERM and TERMINFO
• 15.7 Rarely Needed /etc/ttytype File
• 15.8 Login Restrictions
• 15.9 Run Command Only If TERM=my_term_type
• 15.10 Character Mapping: mapchan

16. Terminfo and Termcap (detailed)

• 16.1 Intro to Terminfo
• 16.2 Terminfo Database
• 16.3 Bugs in Existing Terminfo Files (and Hardware)
• 16.4 Modifying Terminfo Files
• 16.5 Init String
• 16.6 TERM Variable
• 16.7 Terminfo/Termcap Documents

17. Using the Terminal

• 17.1 Intro to Using the Terminal
• 17.2 Starting Up the Terminal
• 17.3 Terminal (Serial) Device Driver
• 17.4 Problems with Editors
• 17.5 Bugs in Bash
• 17.6 Color ls Corruption
• 17.7 Display Freezes (hung terminal)
• 17.8 Corrupted Terminal Interface
• 17.9 Special (Control) Characters
• 17.10 Viewing Latin1 Files on a non-Latin1 terminal
• 17.11 Eliminating Overstriking in Files
• 17.12 Inspecting the Interface
• 17.13 Changing the Terminal Settings
• 17.14 Multiple Sessions
• 17.15 Logging Out
• 17.16 Chatting between Terminals, Spying
• 17.17 Sharing the Serial Port
• 17.18 Browsers for Text-Terminals

18. Special Uses for a Terminal

• 18.1 Make a Serial Terminal the Console
• 18.2 Run Linux without a Monitor
• 18.3 Use a Keyboardless Terminal as the Monitor

19. Trouble-Shooting

• 19.1 Terminal Was Working OK
• 19.2 Terminal Newly Installed
• 19.3 Is the Terminal OK ?
• 19.4 Missing Text
• 19.5 All Keys Work Erratically; Must Hit a Key a Few Times
• 19.6 ... respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
• 19.7 Fails Just After Login
• 19.8 Can't Login
• 19.9 Garbled Login Prompt
• 19.10 No Login Prompt
• 19.11 Displays Foreign/Weird Characters/Symbols
• 19.12 Displays Escape Sequences
• 19.13 Slow: pauses of several seconds between bursts of characters
• 19.14 Terminal doesn't scroll
• 19.15 Serial Monitoring/Diagnostics
• 19.16 Local Mode
• 19.17 Serial Electrical Test Equipment

20. Repair & Diagnose

• 20.1 Repair Books & Websites
• 20.2 Safety
• 20.3 Appearance of Display
• 20.4 Diagnose
• 20.5 Detective work
• 20.6 Error Messages on the Screen
• 20.7 Capacitors
• 20.8 Keyboards

21. Appendix A: General

• 21.1 List of Linux Terminal Commands
• 21.2 The Internet and Books
• 21.3 Non-Linux OSs

22. Appendix B: Escape Sequence Commands Terminology

• 22.1 Esc Sequence Lists
• 22.2 8-bit Control Codes
• 22.3 Printer Esc
• 22.4 Reports
• 22.5 Cursor Movements
• 22.6 Pages (definition)

23. Appendix C: Serial Communications on EIA-232 (RS-232)

• 23.1 Intro to Serial Communication
• 23.2 Voltages
• 23.3 Parity Explained
• 23.4 Forming a Byte (Framing)
• 23.5 Limitations of EIA-232
• 23.6 Synchronization & Synchronous
• 23.7 Block Mode
• 23.8 EIA-232 (RS-232) Books
• 23.9 Serial Software

24. Appendix D: Notes by Brand/Model

• 24.1 Adds
• 24.2 CIT
• 24.3 IBM Terminals
• 24.4 Teletypes
• 24.5 VT (originally DEC, now Boundless)
• 24.6 Links
• 24.7 Qume
• 24.8 Wyse Terminals