Wyse-60 serial terminal

I have several dumb terminals running a program from a UNIX (SCO
Openserver R5) server. These terminals use a serial line connection
and Wyse-60 emulation to communicate with the server. I would like to
replace several of the terminals with Linux boxes (RedHat 9.0) but
can't figure out how to make it work ;-(

Using several Google searches, I found out that I could use a terminal
application called minicom. I configured minicom using the "-s"
switch to use serial port S0 (i.e COM1). I first started minicom as is
(with no switch) to see if I could at least end up with a UNIX prompt.
It worked, so I then started minicom with "-t" switch (minicom -t
wy60), logged in the UNIX system but ended up with garbage all over
the screen and the only way to log the terminal out was to kill the
terminal on the UNIX server.

I can figure out with those tests that the wyse-60 used by both
systems (Linux and my UNIX application) are not the same (?). Again
using several Google searches, I found out that I could modify
something like "termcap" or "terminfo" so the two systems could "speak
the same language". I'm lost from there... I can't figure out which
of the two "term..." I have to modify since I don't know which one
minicom uses.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thnx in advance,

Phil

|I have several dumb terminals running a program from a UNIX (SCO
|Openserver R5) server. These terminals use a serial line connection
|and Wyse-60 emulation to communicate with the server. I would like to
|replace several of the terminals with Linux boxes (RedHat 9.0) but
|can't figure out how to make it work ;-(

I think minicom emulates at VT100 or slightly better, which is quite a
different animal from the Wyse 60. You'll have to tell your
three-letter-word Openserver to assign the type vt100 to that line. I
used to know how to do this, but haven't used a serial terminal in
years. Also whenever I had to tangle with three-letter-word operating
systems, the software was so out of date. I think the variable TERM and
the program tset have something to do with it. Try running tset from the
command line before you run any programs that do terminal sequences.
Good luck.
--

phileault@yahoo.ca (Phil) wrote:
>I have several dumb terminals running a program from a UNIX (SCO
>Openserver R5) server. These terminals use a serial line connection
>and Wyse-60 emulation to communicate with the server. I would like to
>replace several of the terminals with Linux boxes (RedHat 9.0) but
>can't figure out how to make it work ;-(
>
>Using several Google searches, I found out that I could use a terminal
>application called minicom. I configured minicom using the "-s"
>switch to use serial port S0 (i.e COM1). I first started minicom as is
>(with no switch) to see if I could at least end up with a UNIX prompt.
> It worked, so I then started minicom with "-t" switch (minicom -t
>wy60), logged in the UNIX system but ended up with garbage all over
>the screen and the only way to log the terminal out was to kill the
>terminal on the UNIX server.
>
>I can figure out with those tests that the wyse-60 used by both
>systems (Linux and my UNIX application) are not the same (?). Again
>using several Google searches, I found out that I could modify
>something like "termcap" or "terminfo" so the two systems could "speak
>the same language". I'm lost from there... I can't figure out which
>of the two "term..." I have to modify since I don't know which one
>minicom uses.
>
>Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
>Thnx in advance,
>
>Phil

The -t option to minicom changes what it thinks it is displaying
on. It does not cause minicom to emulate a different terminal.

The problem you have is that the program you are running on the
SCO box thinks it is displaying on a wyse terminal, but you
are now displaying on either a linux console, on an xterm, or
on a vt102 emulator (which minicom is running).

What you want to do is get the SCO application to understand
that you are not using a wyse terminal, but instead are displaying
on "something" else.

That is where TERMCAP or TERMINFO come in, but *not* on the
Linux box! The SCO box needs to look up which terminal
attributes commands are appropriate for the "something" that you
are displaying the output on. That is usually done by setting
the TERM environment variable in the login shell of the system
running the application.

If you are changing all of the Wyse-60 terminals to Linux boxes,
or if each set has a distinct login such that it is easy to
distinguish (by which port, by login name, or whatever) which is
which, it should be easy. If there is no obvious distinction
between them, the only way to solve the problem will be to
manually enter which terminal to use each time a terminal logs
in.

There are too many potential ways your system is configured for
me to even begin to describe how to do it. If you post more
information about how the SCO system is accessed and how the
application is started, someone will no doubt be able to point
you directly at the right way to configure it.

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) floyd@barrow.com

In comp.os.linux.networking
Message-<a1e0fd66.0307150804.2a44be40@posting.google.com >
Phil,<phileault@yahoo.ca> babbled:

> I have several dumb terminals running a program from a UNIX (SCO
> Openserver R5) server. These terminals use a serial line connection
> and Wyse-60 emulation to communicate with the server. I would like
> to replace several of the terminals with Linux boxes (RedHat 9.0)
> but can't figure out how to make it work ;-(
[...]

You're doing it wrong.

First, you need to determine how your OSr5 box is configured and how
the terminal type is set. If using an intelligent serial controller
then this is done through the serial controller software. If using a
dumb serial multiport board then edit /etc/ttytype and put in the
type of device that will be on the other end of the connection *OR*
set the login shell to "ask" for the terminal type and enter it each
login. If you don't know how to do anything in this part see below.

Second, if you are going to administer this box you need to learn how
to administer an SCO OpenServer box, there is training for this *OR*
hire an SCO OpenServer authorized consultant. This should be a
no-brainer for a trained SCO administrator or an authorized SCO
consultant. If you want to get info on training write me offline
using <unixsupport at eracc dot hypermart dot net>. If you want to
look for an SCO authorized consultant in your area see:

http://wdb1.sco.com/sdir_web/owa/ptrLocator.search

To find unix/linux consultants of any stripe see:

http://www.aplawrence.com/consultants.html

Third, if your application /requires/ Wyse 60 support then the only
option is to use real dumb terminals *or* buy software that will
emulate the Wyse 60 on your Linux box. However, any business software
for Linux that will have full Wyse 60 emulation would probably cost
nearly as much as a Wsye 60 dumb terminal. For a program that reports
limited wy60 emulation on *n?x consoles see:

http://www.gutschke.com/wy60/

HTH

Gene <gene@eracc.hypermart.net>
--
Linux era1.eracc.UUCP 2.4.21-0.13mdk i686
12:25:13 up 3 days, 20:38, 5 users, load average: 0.14, 0.14, 0.06
ERA Computer Consulting http://eracc.hypermart.net/
eCS, OS/2, Linux, OpenServer, UnixWare & Mandrake Linux resellers

Thanks a lot guys for all your good stuff!!

I carefully read all your postings and especially Floyd's, but did not
want to mess with the UNIX server because it can't really be stopped
or rebooted since it's mission critical... my boss is kind of parano
and allows me to experiment everything I want, as long as it does not
mean I have to "touch" the server.

The good news is I solved my problem but the bad news is he will have
to spend some $$$... I downloaded Ericom's (www.ericom.com) PowerTERM
for Linux and tried it using Wyse-60 emulation... did not work very
well so I convinced my boss to change the terminal emulation on the
server to vt100, since it is something we do occasionnally when we buy
different dumb terminals... did worked wonderfully except for some
keys (F1 to F4) that did not work since the vt100 keyboard is
different from a PC's keyboard. But it was no big deal since PowerTERM
allows to easily remap keys with a GUI. I even have a bonus with that
soft : I can execute scripts that are usefull within our application
so we can now save a lot of typing ;-)

Thank you all again for your help!

Phil


ERA <era@eracc.hypermart.net> wrote in message news:<3716674.gRD8dzzKHb@era1.eracc.UUCP>...
> In comp.os.linux.networking
> Message-<a1e0fd66.0307150804.2a44be40@posting.google.com >
> Phil,<phileault@yahoo.ca> babbled:
>
> > I have several dumb terminals running a program from a UNIX (SCO
> > Openserver R5) server. These terminals use a serial line connection
> > and Wyse-60 emulation to communicate with the server. I would like
> > to replace several of the terminals with Linux boxes (RedHat 9.0)
> > but can't figure out how to make it work ;-(
> [...]
>
> You're doing it wrong.
>
> First, you need to determine how your OSr5 box is configured and how
> the terminal type is set. If using an intelligent serial controller
> then this is done through the serial controller software. If using a
> dumb serial multiport board then edit /etc/ttytype and put in the
> type of device that will be on the other end of the connection *OR*
> set the login shell to "ask" for the terminal type and enter it each
> login. If you don't know how to do anything in this part see below.
>
> Second, if you are going to administer this box you need to learn how
> to administer an SCO OpenServer box, there is training for this *OR*
> hire an SCO OpenServer authorized consultant. This should be a
> no-brainer for a trained SCO administrator or an authorized SCO
> consultant. If you want to get info on training write me offline
> using <unixsupport at eracc dot hypermart dot net>. If you want to
> look for an SCO authorized consultant in your area see:
>
> http://wdb1.sco.com/sdir_web/owa/ptrLocator.search
>
> To find unix/linux consultants of any stripe see:
>
> http://www.aplawrence.com/consultants.html
>
> Third, if your application /requires/ Wyse 60 support then the only
> option is to use real dumb terminals *or* buy software that will
> emulate the Wyse 60 on your Linux box. However, any business software
> for Linux that will have full Wyse 60 emulation would probably cost
> nearly as much as a Wsye 60 dumb terminal. For a program that reports
> limited wy60 emulation on *n?x consoles see:
>
> http://www.gutschke.com/wy60/
>
> HTH
>
> Gene <gene@eracc.hypermart.net>