VT100 to HPTerm

[pc123_1]

Hello.
I'm having trouble switching terminal type on C1099A Alphanumeric Terminal connected to A500 box (EIA port). I've changed to VT100 Terminal type, and cannot restore HPTerm terminal emulation. There seems to be no option to enter setup menu (F10, etc.). I've executed CA command and changed the term type to Hpterm, however no function menu appeared on console monitor.
Any ideas?

[Wodisch]

Hi,

a DEC VT100 typ terminal does simply NOT support function keys!
You'll need a VT2xx for that...
And an "hpterm" is so different from a DEC terminal that not a single control sequence is identical :-(
So, you a DEC VT220 emulation, set your "TERM" variable to "vt220" and everything should work.

HTH,
Wodisch

[Tim D Fulford]

I would leave it as vt100, Ignite-UX only works with vt100.

just my 0.02??? worth

Tim

[pc123_1]

But I cannot invoke setup from vt100 emulation... HPTerm invoked setup functions through FXX keys, but vt100 doesn't support them. The only way is executing CA command, but it doesn't have all setup options that were available in HPTerm.
I am really stuck here, seems there's no way to reset it back to HPTerm. I wonder why they allow these options at all, if there's no way back...

[pc123_1]

Thank you for your replies. Found solution - CTRL + SCROLL LOCK will bring the setup menu functions.

[Tim D Fulford]

Not 100% sure about this but it is worth a whirl..

power off & on the terminal & just before it powers up press "d" for a few seconds (or is it shift d?) and this restores the factory settings..

Tim

[Bill Hassell]

Unlike all previous HP terminals, there is no easy set of config keys on the C1099A. So you have to memorize the CTRL+SCROLL-LOCK incantation.

It's important to note that VT100 is a really dumb terminal emulation (the last 'real' VT100 was manufactured more than two decades ago) with no terminal memory and no softkeys, whereas the HP smart terminals (based on the HP 2640A, circa 1977) run rings around other terminals for performance and ease of use. Like any smart terminal, losing the manual (it is usally the first manual to be thrown away) is not a good thing.

Ignite/UX is fully compatible with HP smart terminals like the 700/9x as well as the C1099A as long as they are running in HP mode. Unfortunately, there are several documents from HP that 'solve' terminal problems by performing lobotomies on HP terminals in configuring the VT100 mode.

All the 'problems' related to HP terminal emulation are found on console connections and are due to the GSP. The Guardian Service Processor is a separate (AMD) computer inside the N,L,A-class machines and the default was to always have vt100 enabled. Standard HP-UX logins using the default /etc/profile and .profile wil automatically identify the terminal type using ttytype, a program that polls the terminal's ID.

However, the GSP goes one step further: it usurps the ability of ttytype and tset to identify the terminal and instead, 'lies' about the terminal. So no matter what terminal you have connected to the GSP, it will discard the terminal's response and send back it's own (ie, vt100) even though the GSP is not a terminal (the reasons are quite obscure).

However, there is an easy fix:

First, *ALWAYS* upgrade your GSP firmware! The latest version (and there are two types of GSP, an A and a B type) is available from ITRC in the Individual Patches section, under firmware. You can ID the type of firmware by logging into the GSP, then type help. The firmware rev is shown on the header line, along with the user level: (Administrator)

Once updated, create the first user and login. That user ID is always the Administrator and has access to all the GSP commands. By upgrading to the latest firmware, several security bugs will have been fixed. Now select the command: CA

Go through the menus and change the terminal type from VT100 to HPTERM. Then exit and now, the console will work as expected during login and with programs such as SAM, swinstall and Ignite/UX.

Here's are additional references:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xfd7eabe92dabd5118ff10090279cd0f9,00.html
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xd5a40cb17a32d5118fef0090279cd0f9,00.html

[pc123_1]

Hello Bill,
What an insight! You covered some of the questions I wanted to ask ahead.

I managed to restore HPTerm emulation. However, I cannot login to the system, all I get is login to GSP. What do I have to do to start a system session, access discs, etc.? I'm relatively new to HP, so excuse such questions.

Look forward to your reply.

[Tim D Fulford · Accepted solution]

Is the power on?

Tim

[Bill Hassell]

If you find yourself in the GSP, just type CO (for console). None of this is Unix, so don't feel too bad. It is custom code to manage the processor and remote access. There are actually some very nice features including the ability to power off and also power on the CPU using the GSP. It is an always-on card in the systems, regardless of the front panel power switch.

Once you are back to the normal console, you login to HP-UX like any other terminal ot telnet session.

[pc123_1]

:)
Yes, and the server respondes to ping (I've set up LAN configuration in GSP).

[Bill Hassell]

And just another note: The GSP is a pretty simple processor and LAN interface and not robust enough to keep out the baddies. Make sure the LAN console is protected by a separate subnet and router that allows just a simple telnet session.

[pc123_1]

I've tried C0 - but exiting to Console mode doesn't result in login prompt. Does it mean something wrong with the operating system?
(The server came with preinstalled system, I didn't install the system myself).

[Tim D Fulford]

as Bill has pointed out "co" will take you back to the console. A while ago I spent 1 hour pulling my hair out unable to figure why the A500 would not boot etc.... The power was off to the processor but on to the rest of the system...

Tim

[pc123_1]

Ok, back to power issue:
There's a "Power" LED which is blinking.
All the rest (Run, Attention, Fault, Remote) are not.

[pc123_1]

Tim,
You were right. Embarrasing, but the Server wasn't switchen on...

Thank you for help!

(Sounds like Monday morning, but it is Tuesday already...)

[John Payne_2]

pc123, These people have given you great advise about your problem. You should at this point shell out some points to them. The only reason I am saying this in your post here is that I was searching the forum for the command to modify the term in the GSP, and I found Bill's answer here, which was great. I would give him points for this answer if I could, but you are the question author. (Please do not think I am being mean or anything, you just said you were new, and that is how things work around here, FYI.)

Thanks Bill

Hope it helps

John

[pc123_1]

Hi.
Well, it was one of my first questions here, before I found out about "points". If you take a look at my last post, you might notice a thank you there.

By the way, is there a high prize from HP for have a lot of points?