sam problems in terminal emulation ...

[John Connors]

I am connecting to a HP d370 server through the console connection using QCTERM as an emulator. However, I am unable to establish a useable SAM session. I set and export TERM=vt100 but to no avail. Is it possible to run SAM on a free emulator from windows.
I have tried hyperterm and powerterm but they have proven unsatisfactory and/or inconsistent.

I have found some threads suggesting the use of putty but these seem to assume a network connection is the mode of communication.

Thanks ,

John

[Hazem Mahmoud_3]

I use cygwin (free @ www.cygwin.com). If you download the entire package, it comes with X windows which brings up a SAM window right on your Windows PC. That is by far the best one I've found. It also comes with many other very powerful tools. I highly recommend it. QCTERM is good as well, I've used it. Wirt Atmar (the developer of QCTERM) would definitely be able to help you get it working right or at least give you a suggestion or two. If you need his contact info, I can send it to you, but I'm sure you have it.

-Hazem

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

QCterm works just fine. But DO NOT set $TERM to a fixed value--ever. The problem is that there are hundreds of models of terminals and through the use of a terminal interface library called Curses, *all* terminals can be handled without a single escape sequence or special code for each model. QCterm is not a dumb VT100, it is an HP smart terminal emulator. Remove any code you have in your login profile that sets TERM=something and replace it with:

eval $(ttytype -s)

Now login with QCterm and you'll have all the features of an HP terminal, something that SAM, swinstall, Glance and other tools can use quite well. And if you use a dumb terminal like Hyperterminal, the ttytype program will correctly identify the terminal and set $TERM correctly. NOTE: if you use a dumb terminal, softkeys and video enhancements will not be pretty...stick with an HP terminal emulator for HP-UX.

[T G Manikandan]

I am using X-manager
http://download.com.com/3302-2340-6128455.html

It works fine.
Install it,

start-->programs-->xmanager--->xmanager.

THis is give the list of unix servers using the xdmp broadcast.
select the server and login.

Thanks

[John Connors]

I was about to amend the .profile file so booted up the server. On doing so, qcterm reports numerous port overflow messages:

I received some of these yesterday, but once I ensured that the settings on port 1 were synchronises to what qcterm thought they should be then the problem was no longer apparent.

Today, the problem is apparent and the settings are the same com1, 9600, none.

I have tried various permutations 7,n,1,n;
and 8,n,1,n; xon/xoff.


Where might the problem lie ?

[Bill Hassell]

The overflow messages are due to handshake mismatch. The simplest method is to use XON/XOFF. When you start QCterm:

Under the Connection in main menu bar:
- select Serial (under the Connnection menu item)
- set 9600 baud
- turn OFF Respond to ENQ

Under Terminal in main menu bar:
- select Preferences then Block Cursor (makes cursor easier to find)

- The softkey labels may be turned on at the bottom. f5 should be Menu Off...press f5 and the labels will disappear. However, applications such as SAM can turn them back on as needed. You can also turn them off or on with tput as in:

tput rmln
tput smln

Now if the data still overruns the terminal emulator, then your stty settings for HP-UX are not setup correctly. The console is controlled by getty which is configured and run from /etc/inittab. The entry should look like this:

cons:123456:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty console console

DON'T be tempted to change the baud rate to something higher. If and only if you and all sysadmins that will touch the console always remember to change the terminal back to 9600 baud during bootup and back to the higher value as HP-UX starts running, everything will be OK. Otherwise, it will be a mess. There is no reason to run a higher baud rate on the console because the console is almost never used except for special system maintenance (you would never browse your personal email on the console for instance..)

So to verify that the console has the right settings:

stty -a
speed 9600 baud; line = 0;
rows = 24; columns = 80
min = 1; time = 1;
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^H; kill = ^U
eof = ^D; eol = ^@; eol2 ; swtch
stop = ^S; start = ^Q; susp = ^Z; dsusp = ^Y
werase ; lnext
-parenb -parodd cs8 -cstopb hupcl -cread -clocal -loblk -crts
-ignbrk brkint ignpar -parmrk -inpck istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl -iuclc
ixon -ixany ixoff -imaxbel -rtsxoff -ctsxon -ienqak
isig icanon -iexten -xcase echo -echoe -echok -echonl -noflsh
-echoctl -echoprt -echoke -flusho -pendin
opost -olcuc onlcr -ocrnl -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel -tostop tab3

Most important (and sometimes wrong) settings are: cs8 ignpar ixon -ixany -ixoff -ienqack intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^H; kill = ^U eof = ^D; eol = ^@

If any of these settings are not correct, you can either edit /etc/gettydefs and change the console terminal entry, or if you're not comfortable with the gettydefs format, just add the required items to /etc/profile:

stty erase "^H" kill "^U" intr "^C" eof "^D" -parity ixoff

This should keep from getting data overruns. Now, all of the above assumes that you are next to the computer with a single 9pin crossover cable (and not remotely connected through a bunch of black boxes in which case troubleshooting costs will skyrocket and explains why nothing works well). Intervening black boxes may not provide any pacing or handshake protocol and you will always get data overruns with SAM regardless of the emulator used.