RE: Missing terminfo data in XFree86 4.2.0

["Harold Hunt" <huntharo at msu dot edu>]

Michael,

Have you tried installing Cygwin/XFree86 via Cygwin's setup.exe?  I'd like
to know if the described problem is prevented from occuring with this new
method (within the last two weeks).  If so, I can check this item off my
to-do list, as very few users will install via the Xinstall.sh script.

Harold

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cygwin-xfree-owner@cygwin.com
> [mailto:cygwin-xfree-owner@cygwin.com]On Behalf Of Michael
> Sent: Friday, April 05, 2002 9:49 AM
> To: cygwin-xfree@cygwin.com
> Subject: Missing terminfo data in XFree86 4.2.0
>
>
> Hi
>
> I ran into the following problem with the current XFree86
> distribution, but
> could not find any mention of any solution here or elsewhere.
>
> SYMPTOMS
> --------
> * "vt102" terminal setting (TERM) in xterm windows instead of "xterm"
> * "WARNING: terminal is not fully functional" error messages from
> /bin/less
> * Missing /usr/share/terminfo/x/xterm and other terminfo data files
>
> CAUSE
> -----
> 1. The current XFree86 for Cygwin distribution is missing the file
>    xterm.terminfo (but not xterm.termcap) in Xlib.tgz.  (However this is
>    not true for other distributions, eg FreeBSD.)  It is missing in the
>    distribution available from the Cygwin mirrors and the distribution
>    available directly from XFree86.
> 2. After unpacking the distribution files, the script Xinstall.sh asks the
>    user whether to update the terminfo entries.  The default is
> no, but the
>    blurb notes that new features will be unavailable otherwise.
>
> If the user says yes:
> 3. The script moves a number of existing terminfo entries to *.bak
> 4. The script tries to run tic on /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/etc/xterm.terminfo to
>    replace them
> 5. Since this file is not present, tic fails
> 6. The following terminfo files are subsequently effectively
> missing: xterm,
>    xterms, xterm-24, xterm-vi, xterm-65, xterm-bold, xtermm, xterm-boldso,
>    xterm-ic, xterm-r6, xterm-old, xterm-r5, vs100
>
> INTERIM SOLUTIONS
> -----------------
> During install (pre-emptive):
> 	* Do not elect to update terminfo entries
> After install (treatment):
> 	* Setting the TERM variable to another value such as cygwin
> or ansi is
> 	  a temporary workaround
> 	* Moving the renamed files back to their original names reverses the
> 	  damage ("mv xterm.bak xterm" etc)
>
> DISTRIBUTION FIX?
> -----------------
> Include the file or change the installation script
>
> QUESTIONS
> ---------
> * Is there some reason xterm.terminfo is missing, or is this an error?
> * Is it possible to use e.g. the FreeBSD distribution's
> xterm.terminfo file?
> * Is it advised against updating the terminfo data?
> * If so, then what about updating termcap entries (suggested by
> Xinstall.h)?
> * What is lost by not using the new terminfo data?
>
> Thanks
> Michael
>