Setting Your Terminal Type
Overview
These instructions presume that you have your SUNet ID and have managed to log in to one of the shared Unix workstations. At this point, the system may be querying you for your terminal type. It might also be that your work session looks strange on the screen, or that some programs just refuse to work due to a problem with your terminal type.
Problems with terminal types have their origins in the way computers and computer terminals used to work. In the old days, terminals could only display text that scrolled from the bottom of the screen to the top. Today's terminals allow your screen to be redrawn more interactively. It is important that both the terminal program you are using on your Mac or PC and the computer system you are logged into agree on the type of terminal display involved. Note: If you are logging in from a workstation in Sweet Hall, your terminal type will have been set automatically.
Quick Check
If you're connecting remotely from a Mac or PC, you may be able to set your terminal type simply by entering set term=vt100 at the system prompt. Whether this works will depend on which version of Samson you're using, how its preferences are set, which computer you're connecting to, and other factors. If this simple step doesn't work, try to synchronize your terminal program and the system you're logging in to by using the information below.
Synchronize the Settings
You want to make sure that the terminal program has been set correctly on your computer and that it agrees with the terminal type required by the computer system you're logging in to. After starting your terminal program and opening a telnet session, do the following:
1.Check your terminal program
Program Preferences: To see and change information about your program's terminal type, review the preferences in the following places:
- To check your terminal type in the latest version of MacSamson, go to the Session Menu, select "Terminal Settings," and look at the "Terminal Mode" field.
- In the latest version of Samson-for-Windows, go to the Options Menu, select "Session," and look at the "Terminal emulation" field.
If necessary, change the preference in this field to:
vt100
"Answer-back" field. The setting in this field ensures that your terminal program can tell the computer you are communicating with what terminal type to use as you log in.
- In MacSamson, the answerback field is located at the bottom of the "Terminal Settings" box (in Program Preference section above).
- In Samson-for-Windows, go to the Options Menu, select "Terminal," and look for the "Answerback" field.
In each case, the field should be set to:
vt100\r
Remember, this is "vt100" followed by a backslash (\), not foreslash (/), and the letter "r".
2.Check the computer system
- The Leland Systems are composed of many different kinds of computers.
Most of them currently expect "vt100," but this can change as different
workstations and compute servers are added to the system. To check the
terminal type of the particular Leland machine you're logged into, type
the following command at the system prompt:
printenv TERM
If the system responds "vt100," you're ready to go. If you don't get "vt100," you can set your terminal type by entering the following command at the system prompt:
setenv TERM vt100
For More Information
If you have problems or questions about setting your terminal type, submit a HelpSU request at http://helpsu.stanford.edu/ or call 725-HELP.
