> >                  This means that colour curses-using programs will now
> > display as white on black by default.
> 
> White on black?  Do you mean everything will be in reverse video if I
> normally set my terminal to black letters on a white background?  If so
> then that's got to be wrong.

Yes, if the curses program uses colour (i.e. calls start_color()), it will
display as white on black by default.  To get the terminal default colours,
the program will need to call use_default_colors().  In order to set the
colours to arbitrary values, call assume_default_colours(fore, back).

> The _default_ should be exactly the same as if nothing were done to
> change the colours used for normal text.  Nothing in the document at the
> URL you provided says anything about forcing white on black (or reverse
> video).

It says :

     The  start_color()  function  also  restores  the  colours  on  the
     terminal   to   terminal-specific   initial   values.  The  initial
     background colour is assumed to be black for all terminals.

So, I suppose we could have any colour on black.  White seemed best.

J

-- 
                    My other computer also runs NetBSD
                          http://www.netbsd.org/