[ On Sunday, October 6, 2002 at 12:59:56 (EDT), Robertdkeys@aol.com wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: How to navigate timezone menus on sparc keyboard????
>
> The sysinstall using the default [sun] terminal
> does not work.  The cursor keys just don't work.

They seem to work after boot in other curses applications, though I
won't be able to check again for certain until I either obtain a 13w3 to
RGB cable for another system, or I decide to shut down my Xserver.  :-)

> The use of xterm there is not intuitively
> obvious to anyone trying to install using a sun
> monitor and keyboard on sun hardware.

I think you may be confusing where and when 'xterm' should be used as a
terminal type.

The TERM environment variable must specify the type of terminal which
will be interpreting the escape sequences sent by the application so
that the application can send the correct sequences and of course it
will also tell the application how to interperet escape sequences sent
by the terminal's special function keys (including cursor keys).

If you're using the framebuffer and Sun keyboard on a Sun workstation
then the correct terminal type is 'sun' (or 'sun-il', which 'sun' is
really just an alias for).  The system console is really a terminal
emulator, and its capabilities are described by the 'sun-il' termcap
entry. 

If you're using an Xterm, which is a terminal emulator for X11, with the
serial console and some communciations program like 'cu' or 'kermit' or
similar running on another unix or unix-like system then 'xterm' is the
correct terminal type (and you want to make sure your xterm is _not_
sending VT52 "application" sequences).

If you're using some intermediate terminal emulator program in between
which hides the ultimate "terminal" you're typing on, such as 'screen',
then you need to use the terminal type it emulates.

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098;            <g.a.woods@ieee.org>;           <woods@robohack.ca>
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; VE3TCP; Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>