hpterm emulation?

[emx]

I need to grab data from an application (HPSS7RMON, an HP-made SS7 monitor) that seems to run only under hpterm.

I am logging through an ssh connection and cannot start in X11 mode to use hpterm. When I start HPSS7RMON from the command line, the display is getting messy, and I can't navigate the menus properly.

Is there a way around this problem?

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

A little help for the group with regards to the OS of the system and other details would be helpful.

Almost every HP-UX based system I know with network access supports vt100 and vt220 terminal emulations. Depending on software installation you should be able to access this system via ssh or telnet

SEP

[Steven Schweda]

> I am logging through an ssh connection and
> cannot start in X11 mode to use hpterm.

Why not? SSH does not preclude using X.

> When I start HPSS7RMON from the command
> line, [...]

I'd've said that anything using an hpterm was
dealing with a command-line interface.

> A little help for the group [...]

_Some_ description of what's actually
involved here might be of some value.

[Bill Hassell]

> that seems to run only under hpterm.

Why is that? hpterm is an HP-specific emulation of HP terminal protocol. This is a high-end protocol that is the basis of PCL, the world's most popular printer language. Whenever you have problems with the appearance of a character screen or menu, there is a mismatch between the emulator and the application. This can occur because the application is badly written and only works with a specific protocol. Or the application does use terminal interface code such as curses but someone has overridden the TERM values.

The right way to fix this is to make sure your emulator is properly identified in your login profile, but as a workaround, try using xterm rather than hpterm. Because hpterm (and xterm) are Xwindows, standard logins bypass /etc/profile and .profile, you will need to enable loginShell for the windows and then fix /etc/profile to properly use ttytype.

[emx]

Sorry I wasn't clear enough in my question, here are some more details.

> A little help for the group with regards to the OS of the system and other details would be helpful.

root@twsmp2 ~> uname -a
HP-UX twsmp2 B.11.11 U 9000/800 2513216930 unlimited-user license

> Almost every HP-UX based system I know with network access supports vt100 and vt220 terminal emulations. Depending on software installation you should be able to access this system via ssh or telnet

I have no problem accessing the system with ssh/telnet. I use xterm with ANSI-color and it works great.

The terminal software I use is SecureCRT v6, it supports many terminals but not hpterm.

> Why not? SSH does not preclude using X.

You mean 'ssh -X' and display somewhere, yes. However in this case it is not an option.

> I'd've said that anything using an hpterm was dealing with a command-line interface.

hpterm enables some special buttons at the bottom of the screen which do not work when you are using e.g. xterm or vt100.

> Why is that? hpterm is an HP-specific emulation of HP terminal protocol. This is a high-end protocol that is the basis of PCL, the world's most popular printer language.

HPSS7RMON will only run in an hpterm window, I can assure you that. It will not display properly with any other terminal emulation e.g. vt100 or xterm.

> Whenever you have problems with the appearance of a character screen or menu, there is a mismatch between the emulator and the application.

Precisely. HPSS7RMON will only work under hpterm, and by logging in through ssh, I don't have access to hpterm (which is an X11 application).

My terminal software does not support hpterm emulation so doing an export TERM=hpterm doesn't help.

> This can occur because the application is badly written and only works with a specific protocol. Or the application does use terminal interface code such as curses but someone has overridden the TERM values.

In this case it is HPSS7RMON that only works with hpterm.

> The right way to fix this is to make sure your emulator is properly identified in your login profile, but as a workaround, try using xterm rather than hpterm.

HPSS7RMON does not display properly if using xterm or vt100. It only displays properly when using hpterm.

[Steven Schweda]

> You mean 'ssh -X' and display somewhere,
> yes. However in this case it is not an
> option.

Why not? As I understand it, you're
currently running SecureCRT v6 on some
(undisclosed) system. A Google search for
SecureCRT suggests that it runs on Windows,
and several other systems, all systems where
X servers are available. If a genuine hpterm
works best, I'd lean toward using a genuine
hpterm.

> [...] by logging in through ssh, I don't
> have access to hpterm (which is an X11
> application).

Only if you refuse to run an X server.

Otherwise, I'd look for a terminal emulator
which emulates some real HP terminal, which,
I'd assume, is what hpterm does (more or
less). "man hpterm" suggests something like
a 700/92 or 2622A. Google seems to be able
to find several products which claim this
capability.

> Is there a way around this problem?

Perhaps not, if every potential solution is
"not an option".

[Dennis Handly]

Here is a link where Bill mentions QCTerm:
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1224529

[emx]

X11 is not an option because the connection is over slow link on VPN and displaying X just won't work.

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

OK. The app has the HP terminal controls hardcoded into the app. hpterm is Xwindows so the equivalent 'normal' terminal emulator is QCTerm (free) or Attachmate's (aka, WRQ) Reflection for HP. QCTerm now supports ssh so you can use a slow connection to connect to SS7 and still have hpterm capability.

http://www.aics-research.com/qcterm/

[emx]

QCTerm works very well and solves my problem (I can now handle hpterm applications over a terminal connection without X)