Using Terminal
A terminal emulator displays a window that allows
you to enter operating system commands, use UNIX commands,
and copy and paste text.terminal emulatordefinitionof
Illustrations shown in this chapter were taken from the default CDE
screens. Your screens may be different from the illustrations if you or
your system administrator have customized them.
Default Desktop Terminal Emulator
The default terminal emulator on the desktop is dtterm.
The dtterm terminal emulator emulates that portion of
the VT220 terminal that is consistent with ANSI and ISO standards.
default terminal emulator
terminal emulatordefault
The dtterm command-line prompt is a special character that
is displayed in the left margin of your terminal emulator. It can be a ``%'',
``<`', ``$'', or another special character. A small box or bar, called
a cursor, shows where characters will appear
in the window when you type something on the keyboard.
dtterm
terminal emulator
Starting a Terminal Window
Terminalstarting
startingTerminal
There are several ways you can start a Terminal window:
From the Front Panel
From Application Manager
From File Manager
From the Window menu
From an existing Terminal window
To Start a Terminal Window from the Front Panel
Click the arrow above the Text Editor control
(or the control that appears as the second one to the left of the workspace
switches) in the Front Panel
Click the Terminal control in the Personal Applications
subpanel.
The default Terminal window appears.
To Start a Terminal Window from Application Manager
Click the Application Manager control on the
Front Panel.
Double-click Desktop_Apps to open the Desktop_Apps
group.
Double-click the Terminal icon (you may have
to scroll down to see it).
To Start a Terminal Window from File Manager
Click the File Manager control on the Front Panel.
The File Manager window appears.
Choose Open Terminal from the File Manager File
menu.
To Start a Terminal Window from the Window Menu
Choose New from the Window menu of an existing
Terminal window.
An exact replica of the Terminal window appears.
To Close a Terminal Window
Type exit at the command line
and press Return.
Or, choose
Exit from the Terminal Window menu.
Or, choose Close from the
Window menu (displayed through the button at the upper left of the window
frame).
Typing exit at the command line is the preferred
method of closing a Terminal window. The other two methods
don't terminate any background processes you may have started, which can
sometimes cause problems.
If you started the Terminal window from a command line, you can stop
it by pressing Control+C in the window from which you started it.
Terminalstopping
startingTerminal <$endrange>Terminal
starting <$endrange>
Using a Terminal Window
The Terminal window provides a means to start other applications, enter
UNIX commands, and copy and paste text between and within windows.
To Start Applications in a Terminal Window
Type the command to start the application at
the command-line prompt.
applicationsstarting in Terminal
windowstartingapplications in Terminal windowTerminalstarting applications in windowThe
general syntax for starting an application is:
application [ options] &
application
The application name
options
A list of optional information to be
passed to the application
&
Indicates that the application runs
in the background; that is, you can continue to use the Terminal window while
the application is also running
Refer to the man page or other documentation for each application to
find the command and options to use for that application.
Example
To start a digital clock from the command line, type
xclock -digital &
To Enter a Command
Type the command and press Return.
Examples
enteringcommands in Terminal window
commandsentering in Terminal window
Terminalentering commands in window
To obtain a list of the files in the current directory, type:
ls [Return]
To obtain a list of the files in the current directory and print it
on the default printer, type:
ls | lp [Return]
To Copy and Paste Text
pastingtext in Terminal window
textcopying in Terminal window
copyingtext in Terminal window
Use mouse button 1 and drag over the text you
want to move.
The text appears highlighted.
Release mouse button 1 after all the text you want
is highlighted.
The highlighted text is copied to an internal clipboard where it is
kept until another copy occurs. The text is not removed from your original
source.
Click mouse button 2 where you want to insert the
text.
textpasting in Terminal windowA copy of the contents of the clipboard is pasted
at the location you indicated. You can make additional copies by repeating
the above steps.
To Resize the Window Contents
When you change the size of a Terminal window, applications running
in the window may not know about the resizing. Use this procedure to resize
the application's output.
To resize the window contents, type the following
at the command-line prompt:
eval `resize`
Terminalresizing window
Note that resize is enclosed within a set of single close quotation
marks rather than double quotation marks.
Running dtterm on Another System
Terminalrunning on another
system <$startrange>
You can run dtterm on another system through
various commands:
The -display
option
The rlogin command
The remsh command
Using the -display Option
-display host: display[.screen]
where
host
The name of a valid system on the network.
display
The number of the display on the host.
screen
Optional. The
screen within the display. The default is 0.
You can find these values by typing env, and examining
the DISPLAY line. The terminal emulator is running on your system, but the
window shows on another system.
Example
The following command starts a dtterm window on the
host computer named hpcvxdm:
dtterm -display hpcvxdm:0 &
Using rlogin
You can use rlogin in an existing Terminal window
to log in to a remote host. Once the window is acting as a terminal to the
remote host, you can run applications there, redirecting the display back
to your system if you desire.
For example, the following command logs onto a system named there, runs the client xload, and redirects
the display back to your original system. Assume your system is named here.
rlogin there
xload -display here:0
Using remsh
The remsh command starts a shell on a remote host,
performs some client (often starting a terminal emulator on that host), and
redirects the display back to your original system if desired.
It has the syntax:
remsh remote -n client -display system: display[.screen]
where:
remote
The remote host name
client
The program you want to run on the
remote host
system:display[. screen]
The host and display on which the results
are to be displayed
The remsh command is often used when customizing
a menu to access other hosts.Terminalrunning on another system <$endrange>
Example
The following command runs xload on the remote host
named there, and directs output back to your system, here.
remsh there -n /usr/bin/X11/xload -display here:0.0 &
Customizing dtterm
There are several ways in which you can customize dtterm:
Run it with special options,
such as the menu bar and scroll bar
Run the terminal emulator on another system
Change global options such as cursor style and
background color
Change terminal options such as keyboard and screen
control
Displaying the Menu Bar
removingmenu bar from Terminal window
menu barremoving from Terminal window
Terminalremoving menu bar from window
By default, dtterm appears with a menu bar. You can
remove it if you wish.
To Remove the Menu Bar
Choose Menu Bar from the Options menu.
The menu bar disappears from the dtterm window.
To Restore the Menu Bar
restoringmenu bar to Terminal window
Terminalrestoring menu bar to window
menu barrestoring to Terminal window
Click mouse button 3 anywhere within the dtterm window.
A pop-up menu appears containing items identical to those of the menu
bar.
Choose Menu Bar from the Options menu.
The menu bar appears at the top of the dtterm window.
Displaying the Scroll Bar
By default, dtterm appears without a scroll bar.
To Display the Scroll Bar
restoringscroll bar to Terminal window
Terminalrestoring scroll bar to window
scroll barrestoring to Terminal window
Choose Scroll Bar from the Options menu.
The scroll bar appears in the dtterm window.
removingscroll bar from Terminal window
Terminalremoving scroll
bar from windowscroll bar
removing from Terminal window
To remove the scroll bar from the window, choose Scroll Bar from the
Options menu again.
dtterm Global Options
There are four areas that you can control from the Global Options dialog
box:
Cursor control
Color control
Scroll behavior
Bell control
TerminalGlobal Options dialog boxTo display the Global Options
dialog box, choose Global from the Options menu.
Cursor Control
Terminalcursor options <$startrange>
cursor options in Terminal <$startrange>You can control three aspects of
the dtterm cursor:
Cursor style
Blinking cursor
Blink rate
To Determine Cursor Style
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click the Cursor Style button and choose the cursor
style option you want:
Box (the default)
Underline
None (the cursor is invisible)
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
The changes you make will be visible on existing dtterm
windows; you don't have to start a new one.
To Determine Cursor Blinking
The dtterm cursor blinks by default. You can turn
off the blinking or change the blink rate (see ).
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click the Blinking Cursor button in the Cursor
Control section and choose to either have the cursor blink (Enabled) or not
blink (Disabled).
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
Note that when this option is set to Disabled, the Blink Rate option
and text field are both inactive and appear dimmed.Terminalcursor options <$endrange>cursor options
in Terminal <$endrange>
To Set the Cursor Blink Rate
The blink rate determines how often the dtterm window's
cursor blinks. The default blink rate is 250 milliseconds. To change the
cursor blink rate:
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
In the Blink Rate text field, type the value in
milliseconds you want.
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
The changes you make will be visible on existing dtterm
windows; you don't have to start a new one.
To Switch Foreground and Background Colors (Color Control)
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click the Window Background button in the Color
Control section and choose the color display you want:
Normal displays the foreground
and background colors normally.
Inverse switches the foreground and background
colors.
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
Terminalcolor control in
colorin Terminal window
To Determine Scroll Behavior
Terminalscroll behavior inscrollingsetting in Terminal windowSmooth scrolling displays
each line sent to the Terminal window immediately, rather than storing it
in a buffer. This results in scrolling that is more pleasing to the eye,
but is slower. The default is smooth scrolling disabled. To enable smooth
scrolling:
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click the Smooth Scrolling button and choose the
type of scrolling you want:
Disabled (the default) disables
smooth scrolling.
Enabled starts smooth scrolling.
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
Bell Control
Terminalbell options <$startrange>
bell options in Terminal <$startrange>There are three types of Bell Control options
in dtterm:
Bell type
Margin warning
Margin distance
To Set the Bell Type
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click the Bell Type button in the Bell Control
section and choose the type of bell you want:
Audible (the default) causes
the bell to make a sound.
Visible causes the bell to blink the background
color.
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
To Set the Margin Warning
The Margin Warning option is used in conjunction with the Margin Distance
option to warn the user either visually or aurally that the cursor is within
a specified distance from the right margin. To set the margin warning:
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click the Margin Warning button in the Bell Control
section.
Choose Enabled or Disabled.
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
Note that the Margin Distance option (see )
is inactive when Margin Warning is disabled.
To Set the Margin Distance
The Margin Distance option is only active when the Margin Warning option
is set to Enabled. You set the distance from the right margin of the dtterm window at which you want the bell to ring (or appear, if
Bell Type is set to Visible). The default value is 10 characters.
To change the distance:
If the Global Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Global from the Options menu.
Click inside the Margin Distance text field in
the Bell Control area and type the number of characters from the right margin
of the window at which you want the margin warning to be issued.
Click OK at the bottom of the Global Options dialog
box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
The changes you make will be visible on existing dtterm
windows; you don't have to start a new one.Terminalbell options <$endrange>bell options
in Terminal <$endrange>
dtterm Terminal Options
There are two areas that you can control from the Terminal Options dialog
box:
Keyboard control
Screen control
To display the Terminal Options dialog box, choose
Terminal from the Options menu.
TerminalTerminal Options dialog
boxChanges you make through the Terminal Options dialog
box are effective on existing dtterm windows; you don't
have to start a new one.
Keyboard Control
You can control four aspects of your keyboard through the Terminal Options
dialog box:
Cursor key mode
Keypad mode
Newline sequence
User function keys
To Set the Cursor Key Mode
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.Terminal
keyboard options <$startrange>keyboard
options in Terminal <$startrange>
Click the Cursor Key Mode button in the Keyboard
Control section and choose the mode you want:
In Normal mode (the default),
the cursor keys move the cursor in the specified direction.
In Application mode, the cursor keys generate escape
sequences that the application uses for its own purpose.
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
To Set the Keypad Mode
The keypad mode determines the behavior of keys on the numeric keypad.
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.
Click the Keypad Mode button in the Keyboard Control
section and choose the mode you want:
In Numeric mode, when keys on
the numeric keypad are pressed, the corresponding numeral is displayed in
the dtterm window.
In Application mode, keys pressed on the numeric
keypad generate escape sequences that the application uses for its own purpose.
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
To Determine the Newline Sequence
The Newline Sequence option determines how carriage returns at the ends
of lines are treated.
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.
Click the Newline Sequence button in the Keyboard
Control section and choose the mode you want:
Return Only (the default) generates
only a carriage return.
Return/Line Feed generates both a carriage return
and a line feed.
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
To Set the User Function Keys
The User Function Keys option either locks or unlocks (the default)
the user function keys.
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.
Click the User Function Keys button in the Keyboard
Control section and choose Locked or Unlocked (the default).
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
Terminalkeyboard options <$endrange>keyboard
options in Terminal <$endrange>
Screen Control
There are three aspects of screen control in a dtterm
window:
132 column switching
End-of-line wrapping
Reverse end-of-line-wrapping
To Set 132 Column Switching
This option corresponds to the following dtterm command-line
options and resource:
Terminalscreencontrol options
screen control options in Terminal
-132
+132
c132
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.
Click the 132 Column Switching button in the Keyboard
Control section and choose the mode you want:
Disabled (the default) does
not change the display when an application switches to 132 columns.
Enabled automatically enlarges the dtterm window to display 132 columns when the application switches to
132 columns.
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
To Set End-of-Line Wrapping
This option determines whether text wraps at the end of a line. It corresponds
to the following dtterm command-line options and resource:
-aw
+aw
autoWrap
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.
Click the End-of-Line Wrapping button in the Keyboard
Control section and choose the mode you want:
Enabled means characters automatically
wrap to the next line when the end-of-line is reached.
Disabled means text does not wrap.
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
To Set Reverse End-of-Line Wrapping
This option determines the behavior of backspacing at the end of a line.
It corresponds to the following dtterm command-line options
and resource:
-rw
+rw
reverseWrap
If the Terminal Options dialog box is not displayed,
choose Terminal from the Options menu.
Click the Reverse End-of-Line Wrapping button in
the Keyboard Control section and choose the mode you want:
Enabled means backspace characters
automatically wrap to the next higher line when the end-of-line is reached.
Disabled (the default) means no wrapping occurs.
Click OK at the bottom of the Terminal Options
dialog box or press Return to save your selection and exit the window.
To save your selection and retain the window, click Apply.
Terminalscreen control options <$endrange>
screen control options in Terminal <$endrange>
Terminal Control Characters
Because dtterm
only emulates a terminal, your control characters might not be what you are
used to on a physical terminal. The ttyModes resource
enables you to set control characters for your terminal emulator.
special charactersin Terminal
Terminalcontrol characters in
control characters in Terminal
By default, Login Manager sets the control characters listed in .
Terminal Control Characters
Control Name
Character
Definition
erase
Control+H
Backspace erases characters
intr
Control+C
Interrupt: Cancel the current operation
andredisplay the command-line prompt.
kill
Control+U
Stop an operation or application.
start
Control+Q
Accept keyboard input: Used to continue
an application that has been paused.
stop
Control+S
Do not accept keyboard input: Used
to pause an application.
swtch
Control+@
Switch between layers in a shell.
For example, to interrupt an operation in progress, you press Control+C.
The syntax for the ttyModes resource is:
ttyModes: Control+C name
where name is the control, and C is the character. (^ is another way of expressing Control.)
For example, the default value of ttyModes describing
the preceding list is:
ttyModes: erase ^H intr ^C kill ^U start ^Q stop ^S swtch ^@
To Set Terminal Control Characters
Use the EditResources action to update the ttyModes resource.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace
menu.Terminalcontrol characters
in <$endrange>
control characters in Terminal <$endrange>special charactersin Terminal <$endrange>
Changing the Default Terminal Emulator
terminal emulatorchanging the
defaultdefault terminal emulatorchangingThere are several other
terminal emulators you can use in addition to dtterm.
You can start most of them from an existing terminal emulator command line;
however, if you want to consistently use a terminal emulator other than dtterm, you should change the default assignment. See
the Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide
for more information.