TN3270 Keyboard Mapping

When an ASCII terminal is used as the display for systems or applications expecting a 3270 device, the special 3270 function keys must be mapped to ASCII character sequences which can be generated from the physical keyboard. The following procedure, "Defining TN3270 Keyboard Mapping," describes the steps used to create this mapping for the 7318 configuration file.

This procedure uses the termcfg command. This command generates the configuration file entries with the correct syntax. The format of the cns3270 file is also described in more detail in the following procedure.

Defining TN3270 Keyboard Mapping

The following information outlines the procedure for generating the [TermNN] and [KeymapNN] sections for the Model S20 configuration file.

Prerequisites

You must have root authority.

Procedure

1. Using your favorite editor, edit the /usr/lib/cns/cns3270 file. Ensure that the new terminal is not already defined in the cns3270 file.
2. If it is not, create new mappings using the defined terminal mappings as format examples. The new terminal's mappings must be identical in format to those already in the cns3270 file. To create the new mappings, you'll need to know what the key mappings are for the desired terminal. Of particular importance are the function and arrow keys.
3. Check the /usr/lib/terminfo directory for the new terminal type. This directory has subdirectories labeled with single letters that correspond to the first letter of the terminal types. Check the subdirectory associated with the new terminal type; for example, the v directory contains the definition for a vt100 terminal.
4. If there is no terminfo file for the new terminal type, create one. Refer to the terminfo file format in AIX Version 4.3 Files Reference for details of how to create a new terminfo file.
5. View the Model S20 configuration file, and note the number of the [TermNN] section that you are creating. You will use this number when you issue the termcfg command.

   Note: The configuration file supports only four [TermNN] sections. If you are creating a fifth terminal definition, ensure that you comment out one of the existing [TermNN] sections, thereby making that number available and preserving the commented terminal definition for possible future use.

6. Issue the termcfg command by typing:

   termcfg -t NewTermType -T TermInfo -n TermNo -m MapFile > NewTerm

   where the NewTermType parameter specifies the new terminal type, the TermInfo parameter specifies the terminfo file residing in the /usr/lib/terminfo/SubDirectory directory, the TermNo parameter specifies the number for the [TermNN] section in the Model S20 configuration file, the MapFile parameter specifies the file to which the new [TermNN] and [KeymapNN] sections are written.
7. Concatenate the contents of the new file to the end of the Model S20 configuration file by typing:

   cat NewTerm >> S20ConfigFile

   Edit the Model S20 configuration file to ensure that no conflicts have been created by adding the new [TermNN] and [KeymapNN] sections.
8. Use the reboot command from the command shell or power-cycle the 7318 to load the new configuration file.

Related Information

The termcfg command.

The cns3270 file format.