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000291_news@newsmaster….columbia.edu _Thu Sep 4 11:55:16 1997.msg
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From: fdc@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Frank da Cruz)
Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.unix.aix,comp.protocols.kermit.misc
Subject: Re: VT320 emulation
Date: 4 Sep 1997 15:55:13 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
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Message-ID: <5umll1$874$1@apakabar.cc.columbia.edu>
References: <340AB90E.2781@atess.bel.alcatel.be> <340D2692.4C93@psi.de> <5ukmsb$7uo$1@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>
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In article <5ukmsb$7uo$1@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>,
Bob Shair (courtesy) <rmshair@delphi.beckman.uiuc.edu> wrote:
: In comp.unix.aix Bernhard Hochstetter <bhochstetter@psi.de> wrote:
: > Luc Nys wrote:
: > > I'm looking for a VT 320 terminal emulator program for AIX.
: > > Who can give me some ideas/hints? Any help is appreciated.
:
: > use kermit ! The vt-emulation of kermit is good and you can use it on
: > serial and network connections.
:
: I regret that, as far as I can discover, C-Kermit under Unix doesn't
: provide terminal emulation. Sad, because C-Kermit under OS/2 and
: K95 provide the best VT 320 emulation in the business.
:
To clarify... There are three kinds of Kermit programs:
1. Those that can be used only on the "far end" of the connection,
but can not make connections themselves. Example: IBM Mainframe
Kermit (for VM/CMS, MVS/TSO, and CICS).
2. Those that can make connections and operate on the "local end" of
the connection, but that also can operate on the far end. Example:
C-Kermit.
3. Those that are designed strictly for the desktop, and provide not only
connection establishment and local-mode operation, but also terminal
emulation. Examples: MS-DOS Kermit and K95.
Terminal emulation is possible only when the program has direct access to
the physical keyboard and the physical screen. UNIX C-Kermit does not.
Remember, you can run it not only from the console, but also when coming in
to the same computer via Telnet, Rlogin, etc, or by dialing up, or through
a terminal server (LAT, TCP/IP, etc). Thus in 99 cases out of 100, it could
not even see the physical keyboard and screen. In fact, many UNIX systems
are "headless" and don't even have keyboards and screens.
If you have a UNIX desktop computer -- the most common example being a PC
running Linux -- then why can't C-Kermit be a VT320 (or other type of)
terminal emulator? It's only a matter of programming. But consider:
. As Jeff pointed out, you are already running C-Kermit in an X window,
or other type of Window (DECwindow, AIXterm, etc), or through the system
console. Thus you already have a terminal emulator.
. What is the API to get at the raw keyboard scan codes and the monitor
video buffer and the mouse? Is there a consistent one for different
varieties of UNIX? (It is to laugh...)
. Even if I know the API, can I use it? There are likely to be issues of
accessibility, permission, etc.
And so C-Kermit is said to form a "semitransparent pipe" between your
terminal, terminal window, or emulator and the remote computer or host you
have connected to. The emulation is provided by the window or emulator
through which you are viewing C-Kermit, and most people never even notice :-)
Could an emulator be added to C-Kermit? Yes, but it would need to be done on
a per-platform basis (SCO vs AIX vs Linux vs HP-UX vs Solaris, etc), and some
fancy footwork would be required to know when it was usable (user is running
it on the physical keyboard and screen) and when it was not (user is coming in
from elsewhere).
- Frank