Next Previous Contents

---

Text-Terminal-HOWTO

David S. Lawyer mailto:dave@lafn.org

v1.33, November 2003

---

This document explains what text terminals are, how they work, how to install and configure them, and provides some info on how to repair them. If you don't have a terminal manual, it may be of help. While it's written for real terminals on a Linux system, much of it is also applicable to terminal emulation and may be helpful for non-Linux systems.

---

1. Introduction

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

2. Types of Terminals

• 2.1 Dumb Terminals
• 2.2 Text Terminals
• 2.3 Graphic GUI Capabilities of Text Terminals
• 2.4 Thin Clients (Terminals ?)
• 2.5 Emulation on a PC

3. Quick Install

4. Why Use a Terminal ?

• 4.1 Intro to Why Use a Terminal
• 4.2 Lower Hardware Costs ?
• 4.3 Control of Software
• 4.4 Hardware Upgrades
• 4.5 Other Advantages of Terminals
• 4.6 Major Disadvantages of Terminals
• 4.7 Are Text Terminals Obsolete ?

5. Overview of How Terminals Work (in Linux)

• 5.1 Device Names
• 5.2 Login/Logout
• 5.3 Half/Full Duplex
• 5.4 Terminal Memory
• 5.5 Commands for the Terminal
• 5.6 Lack of Standardization Solved by Terminfo
• 5.7 The Interface
• 5.8 Emulation
• 5.9 The Console

6. Terminal Special Files such as /dev/tty

• 6.1 Serial Port Terminals
• 6.2 Pseudo Terminals
• 6.3 The Controlling Terminal /dev/tty
• 6.4 /dev/ttyIN "Terminals"
• 6.5 The Console: ttyN or vc/N
• 6.6 Creating a Device with "mknod"

7. Some Details on How Terminals Work

• 7.1 Terminal Memory Details
• 7.2 Early Terminals
• 7.3 Escape Sequences and Control Codes (intro)
• 7.4 Display Attributes & Magic Cookies

8. Special Features of Some Terminals

• 8.1 Color
• 8.2 Multiple Sessions
• 8.3 Printer/Auxiliary Port
• 8.4 Pages
• 8.5 Character-Sets
• 8.6 Fonts
• 8.7 Keyboards & Special Keys
• 8.8 Mouse

9. Terminal Emulation (including the Console)

• 9.1 Intro to Terminal Emulation
• 9.2 Don't Try to Use TERM Variable for Emulation
• 9.3 Communication (Dialing) programs
• 9.4 Testing Terminal Emulation
• 9.5 The Linux Console
• 9.6 Emulation Software

10. Flow Control (Handshaking)

• 10.1 Why Is Flow Control Needed ?
• 10.2 Padding
• 10.3 Overrunning a Serial Port
• 10.4 Stop Sending
• 10.5 Keyboard Lock
• 10.6 Resume Sending
• 10.7 Hardware Flow Control (RTS/CTS etc.)
• 10.8 Is Hardware Flow Control Done by Hardware ?
• 10.9 Obsolete ?? ETX/ACK or ENQ/ACK Flow Control

11. Physical Connection

• 11.1 Introduction
• 11.2 Multiport I/O Cards (Adapters)
• 11.3 Direct Serial Cable Connection.
• 11.4 Modem Connection
• 11.5 Telnet
• 11.6 Terminal Server Connection
• 11.7 Connector and Adapter Types
• 11.8 Making or Modifying a Cable

12. Set-Up (Configure) in General

• 12.1 Intro to Set-Up
• 12.2 Terminal Set-Up (Configure) Overview
• 12.3 Computer Set-Up (Configure) Overview
• 12.4 Many Options
• 12.5 Communication Interface Options
• 12.6 Quick Attempt

13. Terminal Set-Up (Configure) Details

• 13.1 Send Escape Sequences to the Terminal
• 13.2 Older Terminals Set-Up
• 13.3 Getting Into Set-Up (Configuration) Mode
• 13.4 Communication Options
• 13.5 Saving the Set-up
• 13.6 Set-Up Options/Parameters
• 13.7 Emulation {Personality} {{Terminal Modes}}
• 13.8 Display Options
• 13.9 Page Related Options
• 13.10 Reporting and Answerback
• 13.11 Keyboard Options
• 13.12 Meaning of Received Control Codes
• 13.13 Where New Text Goes
• 13.14 Function Keys
• 13.15 Block Mode Options
• 13.16 Locks
• 13.17 Screen Saver {Scrn Saver}
• 13.18 Printer

14. Computer Set-Up (Configure) Details

• 14.1 Getty (used in /etc/inittab)
• 14.2 Stty & Setserial
• 14.3 Setserial
• 14.4 Stty
• 14.5 Terminfo & Termcap (brief)
• 14.6 Setting TERM and TERMINFO
• 14.7 Rarely Needed /etc/ttytype File
• 14.8 Login Restrictions
• 14.9 Run Command Only If TERM=my_term_type
• 14.10 Character Mapping: mapchan

15. Terminfo and Termcap (detailed)

• 15.1 Intro to Terminfo
• 15.2 Terminfo Database
• 15.3 Bugs in Existing Terminfo Files (and Hardware)
• 15.4 Modifying Terminfo Files
• 15.5 Init String
• 15.6 TERM Variable
• 15.7 Terminfo/Termcap Documents

16. Using the Terminal

• 16.1 Intro to Using the Terminal
• 16.2 Starting Up the Terminal
• 16.3 Terminal (Serial) Device Driver
• 16.4 Problems with Editors
• 16.5 Bugs in Bash
• 16.6 Color ls Corruption
• 16.7 Display Freezes (hung terminal)
• 16.8 Corrupted Terminal Interface
• 16.9 Special (Control) Characters
• 16.10 Viewing Latin1 Files on a non-Latin1 terminal
• 16.11 Eliminating Overstriking in Files
• 16.12 Inspecting the Interface
• 16.13 Changing the Terminal Settings
• 16.14 Multiple Sessions
• 16.15 Logging Out
• 16.16 Chatting between Terminals, Spying
• 16.17 Sharing the Serial Port
• 16.18 Browsers for Terminals

17. Special Uses for a Terminal

• 17.1 Make a Serial Terminal the Console
• 17.2 Run Linux without a Monitor
• 17.3 Use a Keyboardless Terminal as the Monitor

18. Trouble-Shooting

• 18.1 Terminal Was Working OK
• 18.2 Terminal Newly Installed
• 18.3 Is the Terminal OK ?
• 18.4 Missing Text
• 18.5 All Keys Work Erratically; Must Hit a Key a Few Times
• 18.6 ... respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
• 18.7 Fails Just After Login
• 18.8 Can't Login
• 18.9 Garbled Login Prompt
• 18.10 No Login Prompt
• 18.11 Displays Foreign/Weird Characters/Symbols
• 18.12 Displays Escape Sequences
• 18.13 Slow: pauses of several seconds between bursts of characters
• 18.14 Terminal doesn't scroll
• 18.15 Serial Monitoring/Diagnostics
• 18.16 Local Mode
• 18.17 Serial Electrical Test Equipment

19. Repair & Diagnose

• 19.1 Repair Books & Websites
• 19.2 Safety
• 19.3 Appearance of Display
• 19.4 Diagnose
• 19.5 Detective work
• 19.6 Error Messages on the Screen
• 19.7 Capacitors
• 19.8 Keyboards

20. Appendix A: General

• 20.1 List of Linux Terminal Commands
• 20.2 The Internet and Books
• 20.3 Non-Linux OSs

21. Appendix B: Escape Sequence Commands Terminology

• 21.1 Esc Sequence List
• 21.2 8-bit Control Codes
• 21.3 Printer Esc
• 21.4 Reports
• 21.5 Cursor Movements
• 21.6 Pages (definition)

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

• 22.1 Intro to Serial Communication
• 22.2 Voltages
• 22.3 Parity Explained
• 22.4 Forming a Byte (Framing)
• 22.5 Limitations of EIA-232
• 22.6 Synchronization & Synchronous
• 22.7 Block Mode
• 22.8 EIA-232 (RS-232) Books
• 22.9 Serial Software

23. Appendix D: Notes by Brand/Model

• 23.1 Adds
• 23.2 CIT
• 23.3 IBM Terminals
• 23.4 Teletypes
• 23.5 VT (DEC)
• 23.6 Links
• 23.7 Qume
• 23.8 Wyse Terminals

---

Next Previous Contents
Linux HOWTO full list