Terminal Caps Lock

[Andy_47]

When Users log on to My Wyse 220 Terminals if they have Caps Lock On the user name is accecpted but the screen from then on is produced in Capitals and graphics do not work. Is there any way to disable the Caps Lock or downshift all characters?

[Pete Devlin]

At the login prompt if CAPS is on ctrl+d & deselecting CAPS should do it.
Cheers

[Andy_47]

Not really what I was Looking for. I can switch of the caps lock with the keyboard but I want to prevent it every being switched on or having any effect.

Thanks any way

[Chris Wilshaw]

I don't know about a unix-level feature to disable CAPS, but some terminals have this option in their internal setup.

Failing that, you're into taking apart the keyboard, and physically disabling the key (possible, but certainly not advisable).

[Pete Devlin]

See what you mean, sorry I misunderstood you ( I do that a lot!!). I've got a terminal manual in front of me & according to that press system> config keys> terminal config & there is a setting in there to switch Capslock off. This of course is an HP manual not Wyse but I do remember my first I.T job messing round with this type of config on Wyse terminals.
Hope this helps a bit more.
Cheers

[Bill Hassell]

The problem is that historically, Unix has recognized really old terminals (like Teletypes) which had no lower case and tries to accomodate them. So if you type in ALL CAPS WHEN YOU LOGIN, then stty will be called and the option olcuc will be set automatically.

Here's a fix for EVERY keyboard made in the last 15 years:

Take a paperclip and straighten one leg, then bend about a quarter inch (about 1cm) L-shape into that leg. Place the L-shaped leg underneath the CAPS-LOCK key and pull straight up. Now take the removed CAPS-LOCK key and THROW IT AWAY!!! CAPS-LOCK does not belong on any keyboard. It is a leftover from the days of typewriters and punch cards!

(an alternative is to jam some foam under the CAPS-LOCK key so it is hard to press it down)

And if you still find people actually pressing the CAPS-LOCK key, take away their keyboard for a week.

--

Or you can explcitly set: stty -olcuc in /etc/profile and /etc/login.csh. To see how this works:

# stty -olcuc
# STTY
SPEED 9600 BAUD; -PARITY HUPCL -CREAD
MIN = 1; TIME = 1; INTR = ^C; QUIT ; ERASE = ^H; KILL = ^U;
SWTCH ;
SUSP = ^Z; DSUSP = ^Y;
BRKINT -INPCK ICRNL -IXANY IXOFF OLCUC ONLCR TAB3
-IEXTEN ECHO -ECHOE -ECHOK
-ECHOCTL -ECHOKE

# STTY -olcuc
# stty
speed 9600 baud; -parity hupcl -cread
min = 1; time = 1; intr = ^C; quit ; erase = ^H; kill = ^U;
swtch ;
susp = ^Z; dsusp = ^Y;
brkint -inpck icrnl -ixany ixoff onlcr tab3
-iexten echo -echoe -echok
-echoctl -echoke

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Personally, I'd go for the social engineering change by throwing the CAPS-LOCK key as far as you can.