> From: Chris_G_Demetriou@NIAGARA.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU
> Date: Fri, 23 Feb 96 01:33:34 EST
> X-Copyright: Copyright 1995, Christopher G. Demetriou.  All rights reserved.
> X-Notice: Duplication and redistribution prohibited without consent of
> 	  the author.
> 
> > Note: I'm not wanting to suggest that other serial port drivers
> > should be modified to impliment this behavior. No, no, no, no.
> 
> I'd say that TTY ioctls that are "device-independent", e.g. the one
> for setting the default termios state, either: 
> 	(1) should be implemented for all drivers (preferably in a
> 	    driver-independent way, but that's another story), or
> 	    at least should be "to be be implemented" for all drivers,
> 	(2) if there isn't good enough reason to have it implemented
> 	    for all, it should not be implemented for any.

There is another way to deal with this problem (unwanted echo)
that I've hesitated to suggest, but which is brutally simple:

Change the system-wide default termios state to "raw mode."
(Hold on, calm down... 8^)

Why is the default termios "suitable for a terminal" anyway?

If you have a terminal connected, then getty will take care of
setting the right termios state.  If the line is a console,
the (already special) console setup can force reasonable modes
for output of console messages.

Beyond that, in modern day, most of us use serial ports not for
terminals, but for modems, printers, mice, etc.  None of which
particularly want the historical defaults.

In summary, I think the historical defaults are now obsolete.
I know, changing historical conventions is controvercial...

Comments?  (Steps behind mud shield... 8^)

Gordon Ross