Re: lynx-dev Lynx, colors and VT100

[Ismael Cordeiro]

On Tue, 20 Apr 1999 address@hidden wrote:

> >If you're on Solaris it should display "SunOs 5.x".
> 
> SunOS 5.6

Yes, that's Solaris 2.6.

> >> so that the other items said <NOT AVAILABLE> or something while I had
> >> the popup popped up? even if it said something longer like <NOT
> >> AVAILABLE BECAUSE COLOR NOT COMPILED IN> it would be good.
> >
> >If you use the "old-style" options menu (FORMS_OPTIONS:FALSE in
> >lynx.cfg), Lynx will display "Your 'xxx' terminal does not support color"
> >when you try to set Show Color to ON.
> 
> lynx.cfg is for compile time options right?

No, it's the configuration file that's read by Lynx when you run it.

> I tried simply making a lynx.cfg in my home directory with
> FORMS_OPTIONS:FALSE as the only thing in it and it doesn't seem to change
> anything.

You have to tell Lynx which lynx.cfg to read. Leave that lynx.cfg file with
FORMS_OPTIONS:FALSE in your home directory and try

lynx -cfg=$HOME/lynx.cfg

See if Lynx displays any warning message. See if you get the "old-style"
options menu. See if Lynx says that your terminal doesn't support color.

> Anyway, I just realized that when I'm on the popup it says: UNMODIFIABLE
> option list. Use return or arrow keys to review or leave. at the bottom of
> the screen.

I've never seen something like that. It seems that the guys at area.com are
not quite friendly. Besides changing the source code, the only way I see to
do that is with the command



> >If you don't mind being helped by someone you think that `doesn't seem to
> >realize that "vt100 emulator" _implies_ that it does not emulate things
> >_besides_ a vt100', I could probably help you like I helped many Lynx users
> >with a similar problem.
> 
> Wow, I didn't mean to make that sound like an insult, I just think both
> sides are unable to agree. (I'm making the semantic point about words,
> admittedly.)

OK. I won't take it as an insult. ;-)

> >What terminal or terminal emulation are you using? Does it support color?
> >What "echo $TERM" says?
> 
> heh.. vt100.

Well, now we have to see if your VT100 emulation is a "pure" or "impure"
one. I believe you're using Proterm on an Apple GSII. Anyway, the easiest
way to see whether the VT100 emulation of your terminal program supports
color is by accessing a local BBS that gives you color when you access it
using the ANSI-BBS emulation. Access it using the VT100 emulation and see if
you get color. If yes, that's good news. Your VT100 emulation is "impure".
If not, you won't be able to get Lynx color with the VT100 emulation but
maybe there are other ways to circumvent that.

> The 'real' vt100 in /etc/termcap says:
> d0|vt100|vt100-am|vt100am|dec vt100:\

That's the usual VT100 termcap definition but on Solaris Lynx is probably
using terminfo.

> I have no idea how to read that stuff (I'm not saying it's hard, I just
> never figured out any of it except for things like changing backspace to
> delete with stty and changing rows manually).
> 
> I realized there are a lot of other "vt100-ish" entries in /etc/termcap,
> mentioning things like "fast v100".. Maybe some decade if I ever get
> around to it I should play around with some of the others to see if I can
> notice a difference over a modem link.

Don't bother with that now and don't change what you don't know. If you want
to understand that stuff, start with

man terminfo
man termcap

Ismael
-- 

       +--------------------------------------------------------------+
       | ISMAEL CORDEIRO            | mailto:address@hidden      |
       | Production sound mixer     | http://www.ismael.cordeiro.com/ |
       | Montréal - Québec - Canada | ftp://ftp.cam.org/users/ismael/ |
       +--------------------------------------------------------------+