ITEM: BB5266L

Function keys on PC w/ ProComm emulating vt220 attached to AIX

Env:    AIX 3.2.5, RS/6000 C10
        console:  wyse50
        terminal:  PC emulating vt220

Desc:   Customer is trying to use smit, but cannot use function keys.
        When she uses the function keys she is kicked back out to the
        command prompt, and sometimes the terminal locks up.

She is now working with her pc, which uses procomm to get into the AIX
system.  This is tty2.  The Procomm program is set to use the vt220
emulation and so is aix.  SMIT does not work, it seems to think that
all of the function keys should issue the \^Z, because anytime she presses
one, she gets kicked out of smit with a "stopped" message.  If she 
types in fg at the command line, she will get back into smit.

Her application, Whiskers, does not seem to emulate correctly either.
If she presses the f1 key, she will get kicked out and also get a 
"command:[1]" message.

I had her check for any keyboard mapping by going into the tty setup
(nls mapping).  She does not have any maps.

I had her issue the command "od -xc" and then had her press the F3 key
a couple of times.  I then had her hit return and then \^D \^D.  This
showed the following:

0000000  0142 0a0a
         001b 0000004

        Conferenced with DataStorm and reprogrammed the function
        keys to send the correct vt220 escape sequences.  The
        way this is accomplished is to type the characters
        \^[  (actually type carat left bracket) since the \^[
        character is an escape.

        Now, your function keys work fine in SMIT and for AIX
        terminfo applications, but still not in your software.
        The software package (whiskas ?) uses its own
        terminfo like files in /usr/ws/window which looks like
        they only define function keys f1 - f4 but not even
        those are working.   We now have ProComm sending the
        correct sequences to AIX and AIX sees and interprets
        these sequences properly - only the application is
        failing when function keys are sent.

        Customer is working with application vendor on getting
        function keys working under the AP.  Apparently, they 
        call the TERM type vt220 but the sequences they expect
        for the function keys are not vt220 sequences and so
        you have a choice - the application works or SMIT function
        keys work.  Suggested perhaps creating a new TERM type,
        like "myvt220" which has vt220 definitions with the
        function keys (kf\#) entries altered so that the sequences
        required by the application match those used by curses
        applications like SMIT.

        Customer stated that whenever she went into SMIT and hit
        a function key that her process was stopped but her
        function keys are working fine in the application now.

        Checked and found that the application people reprogrammed
        the function keys to send:

        f1 = \^ZA
        f2 = \^ZB
        etc

        Explained \^Z is the suspend character which suspends a
        process.  However, if you set your function keys to the
        CORRECT vt220 terminal sequences so that the function
        keys work in SMIT - then they don't work in the application.
                stty susp \^A

        to change the suspend character for \^Z to \^A so that your
        processes would not be stopped.  Explained that if you want
        to create your own TERM type in terminfo, you can put 
        whatever you want for the kf values there (a myvt220.ti file)
                The real solution to the problem would be to have the
        application actually do vt220 emulation rather than vt220
        with the function keys changed.



Support Line: Function keys on PC w/ ProComm emulating vt220 attached to AIX ITEM: BB5266L

Dated: November 1995 Category: N/A

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