Unable to use keypad

[Shahril M]

Hi folks,

I access the servers using a telnet program on my PC. For some servers, I can use the keypad to key in numbers, for for others, I cannot.

It returns some escape/control character (^[)

Both are running 11.00. I suspect it has something to do with the .profile or .login files. If so, what should I look out for?

Also, I set the SHELL and TERM to be the same, i.e ksh and vt220

Appreciate all assistance.

Rgds,
Shahril

[Michael Tully]

There are some places you can look.

/etc/profile
$HOME/.profile
$HOME/.login

Also run the 'stty -a' to see the differences. Have a look at the stty and termio man pages.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Okay, it TERM is set and exported on both the "good" and "bad" hosts then the difference must be in the terminfo entries on the boxes ---- or if this is a really archaic application it uses the /etc/termcap database.

This should fix you:
On a "good" box:

untic vt220 > vt220.tic
ftp or rcp vt220.tic to /var/tmp/vt220.tic on the "bad" box.

On a "bad" box:
First make a safe copy of the existing vt220 terminfo entries:
untic vt220 > /somewhere/vt220.tic.safe

Now tic the "good" entry:
tic /var/tmp/vt220.tic

You should be fixed.

tic -> terminfo compiler; man terminfo for details.


There is probably a difference in the terminal initialization string or one does not have the keypad application mode properly defined.

[PeterWolfe · Accepted solution]

What PC terminal emulator are you using?

One setting to check is "Application keypad mode" (or some
name like that). When this is on the numeric keypad sends
escape sequences, when off, it sends the numbers/arithmetic operators
on the keycaps

[Steve Steel]

Hi

On 11.X see man infocmp

See also xmodmap especially with pke option


Steve Steel

[Shahril M]

Hi folks,

Apparently, it was some setting on the telnet program after all.

Since each host had its own profile on my PC, somehow the profiles are not all similar.

Anyway, Clay, your posting may be useful for someone else in future.


Rgds,
Shahril