@database termcapo.guide
@master Inet:docs/I-Net.guide
@index "Inet:docs/Index.guide/main"
@$VER: termcap.guide 1.0 (21.12.94)
@author "Michael"
@Width 80
@SmartWrap

@node "Main" "termcap"
@{b}termcap@{ub}                                                              @{b}termcap@{ub}

NAME

    @{b}termcap@{ub} - Terminal Capabilities Database

DESCRIPTION

    The @{b}termcap@{ub} database is a place where Unix, and Unix-derived, operating
    systems store information about the type of terminal (workstations and
    PCs included) connected to them.

    Some brands of Unix may use a @{b}terminfo@{ub} database instead.

    Regardless, there are Amiga specifications for both @{b}termcap@{ub} and for
    @{b}terminfo@{ub}. Note that there are a variety of specifications available,
    but these (which are based on Kent Polk's Amiga-Term v1.4) should be
    used.

    The @{b}termcap@{ub} and @{b}terminfo@{ub} specifications are installed not on your
    system, but on systems you may connect to with rlogin(1), telnet(1),
    or tn3270.device(1). The specifications define to that system how to
    perform certain terminal control commands, and how certain characters
    are to be interpreted (such as clear-to-end-of-line and escape).

    Whether you need the @{b}termcap@{ub} or the @{b}terminfo@{ub} entry depends on what OS,
    shell and software you use. If you use the Korn Shell (ksh), it is
    likely that you only need to have the @{b}terminfo@{ub} entry installed. If you
    are using the C-Shell (csh) on a Sun, it is likely you will need both
    the @{b}termcap@{ub} and the @{b}terminfo@{ub} entries.  If you are using a BSD-derived
    Unix, it is likely you only need the @{b}termcap@{ub} entry.

    Your best resource is to ask the system administrator of the site you
    are connecting to. If you are the system administrator, and you don't
    know which, then install both, and hope for the best. In general, if
    your system has a file named /etc/termcap, then @{b}termcap@{ub} is supported.
    If a program named "tic" is present, then @{b}terminfo@{ub} is supported. It is
    possible, and on some systems very likely, that both will be supported.

    Normally, @{b}terminfo.src@{ub} will be compiled by, and the contents of @{b}termcap@{ub}
    installed into your /etc/termcap file, your system administrator. If
    the site regularly goes through OS upgrades, or the system administrator
    is not friendly to these types of requests, it is normally possible to
    do local installs yourself. The following method is used:

        For the @{b}termcap@{ub} entry, you can create a file in your account's path,
        such as 'termcap'. If the Amiga @{b}termcap@{ub} is the only entry you wish
        to use, you can simply copy 'inet:docs/termcap' to that file.  Next,
        you need to tell your shell where to look for the @{b}termcap@{ub} entry by
        using the TERMCAP environment variable. For the C-Shell this is
        accomplished by inserting the following in into your .cshrc file:

            setenv TERMCAP <path>/termcap

        If you don't use C-Shell, but instead use ksh, bash or sh, then put
        the following lines into your .profile file:

            TERMCAP=<path>/termcap
            export TERMCAP

        For the @{b}terminfo@{ub} entry,  create a directory in your account's path,
        such as 'terminfo'. Before installing the @{b}terminfo@{ub} entry, tell the
        shell where this directory is by using the TERMINFO environment
        variable, after which you need to either log out and log back in,
        or inform the current shell of the changes. The @{b}terminfo@{ub} entry must
        be compiled using tic(1), which will create the following path/file:

            <path>/termcap/a/amiga

        This is accomplished by the following command:

            tic terminfo.src

        To inform the C-Shell where to find the @{b}terminfo@{ub} information, insert
        the following line into your .cshrc file:

            setenv TERMINFO <path>/terminfo

        If you don't use C-Shell, but instead use ksh, bash or sh, then put
        the following lines into your .profile file:

            TERMINFO=<path>/terminfo
            export TERMINFO

    In the information above, <path> refers to the directory structure
    leading to the files. Your login <path> is determined at login by
    typing the following command:

            pwd

    Most versions of modern shells allow this to be abbreviated in the
    following ways. For C-Shell in .cshrc:

            setenv TERMCAP  ~/termcap
            setenv TERMINFO ~/terminfo

    For ksh, bash, or sh in .profile:

            TERMCAP=~/termcap; export TERMCAP
            TERMINFO=~/terminfo; export TERMINFO

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    Thanks to Kent Polk for permission to include his @{b}termcap@{ub} and
    @{b}terminfo.src@{ub} files. Much of the above was written by Kent.
@endnode