[Simh] Semi-OT: Terminal Recommendations for use with SIMH

[Peter Allan]

Hi Mark,

I too have an LK461 keyboard. I use it on a standard PC that runs several
versions of CentOS. I spent quite a while several years ago getting it to
work just as I wanted (i.e. like a proper DEC keyboard) since I run
emulators (mostly simh) for VAXen, and PDP11s on that computer. One thing I
found early on is that some special keys (F13, F14, Help, Do, F17, Left
Compose) were completely unresponsive until I added the following lines to
the /etc/rc.local file


# Activate the keyboard keys that do not work as standard
setkeycodes e03d 113  # Keycode for F13 = 113
setkeycodes e03e 114  # Keycode for F14 = 114
setkeycodes e03f 115  # Keycode for Help = 115
setkeycodes e040 186  # Keycode for F16 = 186 in include/linux/input.h
setkeycodes e041 117  # Keycode for F17 = 117
setkeycodes e00f 127  # Left Compose Character

# Note for setting the Do key.
# The obvious keycode to set the Do key to is 116 since dumpkeys shows that
# keycode 116 is "Do". However, this causes problems since keycode 116 is
# defined in the kernel as the shutdown key. On my HP microserver,
# running showkey and pressing the power button returns 116, before shutting
# the computer down!
#
# I have chosen a keycode of 186 for the Do key since F16 is defined as 186
# in /usr/include/linux/input.h, but this is probably no better than any
other
# unused keycode.

# Now use loadkeys to define the actions of the Help and Do keys.
# The Help key has keycode 115, and is recognised as "Help", but this
# does not have any action when logged into VMS, so define the character
string
# that the Help key should generate.
# The Do key has keycode 186. We need to define the keycode to be the F16
# key, which already has the appropriate character string defined.

loadkeys <<XXXXX
   string Help = "\033[28~"
   keycode 186 = F16
XXXXX

echo "Help and Do keys have been defined"


Once the keys give some response, you can map them to the action you want
using xmodmap.

We can talk about this at the DEC legacy event next month. Let me know if
you want me to bring the actual computer along. My memory is pretty rusty
about exactly what I did.

Cheers

Peter Allan




On Tue, 1 Oct 2019 at 23:43, Mark Wickens <mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote:

> I use a combination of Windows and Linux. I find xterm to have excellent
> emulation characteristics. On windows I use Putty and Cygwin terminals.
>
> Now for the less ordinary: In order to use my LK450 keyboard (which only
> works properly when plugged into a PS/2 port direct, not via a USB dongle)
> I use an older copy of Hummingbird Exceed (bought off eBay as new-in-box a
> few years ago) on an old HP thin client terminal running Windows XP. This
> combination allows all the keys to be mapped correctly. I've always hated
> the fact that most combinations of DEC keyboards and PC computers left at
> least one or two keys incorrectly mapped. Having all keys mapped is a must
> when using ALL-IN-1 or WPS/PLUS.
>
> In the past I've also used a passive adapter and the Linux LK201/LK401
> keyboard driver. The adapter converts the keyboard connector into an RS/232
> feed and provides 9v power for the keyboard. This should still work as the
> driver is still a module in the linux kernel. I found the mapping mostly
> worked although some of the key combinations didn't map by default from the
> keyboard interface layer to useful X keycodes.
>
> I have a USB LK461 (I think that's the number) but I've not tried to get
> all the keys working. It works as a standard PC keyboard without any issue.
>
> Regards, Mark.
>
>
> On Mon, 30 Sep 2019 at 09:27, Matt Burke <matt at 9track.net> wrote:
>
>> On 29/09/2019 16:19, Zane Healy wrote:
>> > I’d tried ZOC7, and a couple other solutions, before settling on
>> > SecureCRT. I have to have a properly functioning keypad. Even then I
>> > still have a DEC VT420, plugged into a DECserver sitting by my Mac. I
>> > love my VT420’s, but at times I like to be able to cut and paste. :-)
>> You can cut and paste with a VT420. Hold down the 'Hold Screen (F1)' key
>> and use the arrow keys to position the cursor. Then use 'Select'
>> followed by the arrow keys to highlight the text and 'Remove' to copy.
>> Then you can release the 'Hold Screen (F1) key.
>> The text is stored in a buffer and can be pasted by holding down the
>> 'Hold Screen (F1)' key again and pressing 'Insert Here'.
>>
>> Matt
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Simh at trailing-edge.com
>> http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh
>
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