.\" Copyright (c) 1993 Michael Haardt (michael@moria.de),

.\"     Fri Apr  2 11:32:09 MET DST 1993

.\"

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.\"

.\" Modified formatting Sat Jul 24 17:13:38 1993, Rik Faith (faith@cs.unc.edu)

.\" Modified (extensions and corrections)

.\"   Sun May  1 14:21:25 MET DST 1994 Michael Haardt

.\"   If mistakes in the capabilities are found, please send a bug report to:

.\"   michael@moria.de

.\" Modified Mon Oct 21 17:47:19 EDT 1996 by Eric S. Raymond (esr@thyrsus.com)

.TH TERMCAP 5 1996-10-21 "Linux" "Linux Programmer's Manual"

.SH NAME

termcap \- terminal capability database

.SH DESCRIPTION

The termcap database is an obsolete facility for describing the

capabilities of character-cell terminals and printers.

It is retained only for capability with old programs;

new programs should use the

.BR terminfo (5)

database and associated libraries.

.PP

.I /etc/termcap

is an ASCII file (the database master) that lists the capabilities of

many different types of terminals.

Programs can read termcap to find

the particular escape codes needed to control the visual attributes of

the terminal actually in use.

(Other aspects of the terminal are

handled by

.BR stty (1).)

The termcap database is indexed on the

.B TERM

environment variable.

.PP

Termcap entries must be defined on a single logical line, with \(aq\\\(aq

used to suppress the newline.

Fields are separated by \(aq:\(aq.

The first field of each entry starts at the left-hand margin,

and contains a list of names for the terminal, separated by \(aq|\(aq.

.PP

The first subfield may (in BSD termcap entries from versions 4.3 and

earlier) contain a short name consisting of two characters.

This short name may consist of capital or small letters.

In 4.4BSD, termcap entries this field is omitted.

.PP

The second subfield (first, in the newer 4.4BSD format) contains the

name used by the environment variable

.BR TERM .

It should be spelled in lowercase letters.

Selectable hardware capabilities should be marked

by appending a hyphen and a suffix to this name.

See below for an example.

Usual suffixes are w (more than 80 characters wide), am

(automatic margins), nam (no automatic margins), and rv (reverse video

display).

The third subfield contains a long and descriptive name for

this termcap entry.

.PP

Subsequent fields contain the terminal capabilities; any continued

capability lines must be indented one tab from the left margin.

.PP

Although there is no defined order, it is suggested to write first

boolean, then numeric, and then string capabilities, each sorted

alphabetically without looking at lower or upper spelling.

Capabilities of similar functions can be written in one line.

.PP

Example for:

.nf

.PP

Head line: vt|vt101|DEC VT 101 terminal in 80 character mode:\e

Head line: Vt|vt101-w|DEC VT 101 terminal in (wide) 132 character mode:\e

Boolean: :bs:\e

Numeric: :co#80:\e

String: :sr=\eE[H:\e

.fi

.SS Boolean capabilities

.nf

5i	Printer will not echo on screen

am	Automatic margins which means automatic line wrap

bs	Control-H (8 dec.) performs a backspace

bw	Backspace on left margin wraps to previous line and right margin

da	Display retained above screen

db	Display retained below screen

eo	A space erases all characters at cursor position

es	Escape sequences and special characters work in status line

gn	Generic device

hc	This is a hardcopy terminal

HC	The cursor is hard to see when not on bottom line

hs	Has a status line

hz	Hazeltine bug, the terminal can not print tilde characters

in	Terminal inserts null bytes, not spaces, to fill whitespace

km	Terminal has a meta key

mi	Cursor movement works in insert mode

ms	Cursor movement works in standout/underline mode

NP	No pad character

NR	ti does not reverse te

nx	No padding, must use XON/XOFF

os	Terminal can overstrike

ul	Terminal underlines although it can not overstrike

xb	Beehive glitch, f1 sends ESCAPE, f2 sends \fB^C\fP

xn	Newline/wraparound glitch

xo	Terminal uses xon/xoff protocol

xs	Text typed over standout text will be displayed in standout

xt	Teleray glitch, destructive tabs and odd standout mode

.fi

.SS Numeric capabilities

.nf

co	Number of columns

dB	Delay in milliseconds for backspace on hardcopy terminals

dC	Delay in milliseconds for carriage return on hardcopy terminals

dF	Delay in milliseconds for form feed on hardcopy terminals

dN	Delay in milliseconds for new line on hardcopy terminals

dT	Delay in milliseconds for tabulator stop on hardcopy terminals

dV	Delay in milliseconds for vertical tabulator stop on

	hardcopy terminals

it	Difference between tab positions

lh	Height of soft labels

lm	Lines of memory

lw	Width of soft labels

li	Number of lines

Nl	Number of soft labels

pb	Lowest baud rate which needs padding

sg	Standout glitch

ug	Underline glitch

vt	virtual terminal number

ws	Width of status line if different from screen width

.fi

.SS String capabilities

.nf

!1	shifted save key

!2	shifted suspend key

!3	shifted undo key

#1	shifted help key

#2	shifted home key

#3	shifted input key

#4	shifted cursor left key

%0	redo key

%1	help key

%2	mark key

%3	message key

%4	move key

%5	next-object key

%6	open key

%7	options key

%8	previous-object key

%9	print key

%a	shifted message key

%b	shifted move key

%c	shifted next key

%d	shifted options key

%e	shifted previous key

%f	shifted print key

%g	shifted redo key

%h	shifted replace key

%i	shifted cursor right key

%j	shifted resume key

&0	shifted cancel key

&1	reference key

&2	refresh key

&3	replace key

&4	restart key

&5	resume key

&6	save key

&7	suspend key

&8	undo key

&9	shifted begin key

*0	shifted find key

*1	shifted command key

*2	shifted copy key

*3	shifted create key

*4	shifted delete character

*5	shifted delete line

*6	select key

*7	shifted end key

*8	shifted clear line key

*9	shifted exit key

@0	find key

@1	begin key

@2	cancel key

@3	close key

@4	command key

@5	copy key

@6	create key

@7	end key

@8	enter/send key

@9	exit key

al	Insert one line

AL	Insert %1 lines

ac	Pairs of block graphic characters to map alternate character set

ae	End alternative character set

as	Start alternative character set for block graphic characters

bc	Backspace, if not \fB^H\fP

bl	Audio bell

bt	Move to previous tab stop

cb	Clear from beginning of line to cursor

cc	Dummy command character

cd	Clear to end of screen

ce	Clear to end of line

ch	Move cursor horizontally only to column %1

cl	Clear screen and cursor home

cm	Cursor move to row %1 and column %2 (on screen)

CM	Move cursor to row %1 and column %2 (in memory)

cr	Carriage return

cs	Scroll region from line %1 to %2

ct	Clear tabs

cv	Move cursor vertically only to line %1

dc	Delete one character

DC	Delete %1 characters

dl	Delete one line

DL	Delete %1 lines

dm	Begin delete mode

do	Cursor down one line

DO	Cursor down #1 lines

ds	Disable status line

eA	Enable alternate character set

ec	Erase %1 characters starting at cursor

ed	End delete mode

ei	End insert mode

ff	Formfeed character on hardcopy terminals

fs	Return character to its position before going to status line

F1	The string sent by function key f11

F2	The string sent by function key f12

F3	The string sent by function key f13

\&...	\&...

F9	The string sent by function key f19

FA	The string sent by function key f20

FB	The string sent by function key f21

\&...	\&...

FZ	The string sent by function key f45

Fa	The string sent by function key f46

Fb	The string sent by function key f47

\&...	\&...

Fr	The string sent by function key f63

hd	Move cursor a half line down

ho	Cursor home

hu	Move cursor a half line up

i1	Initialization string 1 at login

i3	Initialization string 3 at login

is	Initialization string 2 at login

ic	Insert one character

IC	Insert %1 characters

if	Initialization file

im	Begin insert mode

ip	Insert pad time and needed special characters after insert

iP	Initialization program

K1	upper left key on keypad

K2	center key on keypad

K3	upper right key on keypad

K4	bottom left key on keypad

K5	bottom right key on keypad

k0	Function key 0

k1	Function key 1

k2	Function key 2

k3	Function key 3

k4	Function key 4

k5	Function key 5

k6	Function key 6

k7	Function key 7

k8	Function key 8

k9	Function key 9

k;	Function key 10

ka	Clear all tabs key

kA	Insert line key

kb	Backspace key

kB	Back tab stop

kC	Clear screen key

kd	Cursor down key

kD	Key for delete character under cursor

ke	turn keypad off

kE	Key for clear to end of line

kF	Key for scrolling forward/down

kh	Cursor home key

kH	Cursor hown down key

kI	Insert character/Insert mode key

kl	Cursor left key

kL	Key for delete line

kM	Key for exit insert mode

kN	Key for next page

kP	Key for previous page

kr	Cursor right key

kR	Key for scrolling backward/up

ks	Turn keypad on

kS	Clear to end of screen key

kt	Clear this tab key

kT	Set tab here key

ku	Cursor up key

l0	Label of zeroth function key, if not f0

l1	Label of first function key, if not f1

l2	Label of first function key, if not f2

\&...	\&...

la	Label of tenth function key, if not f10

le	Cursor left one character

ll	Move cursor to lower left corner

LE	Cursor left %1 characters

LF	Turn soft labels off

LO	Turn soft labels on

mb	Start blinking

MC	Clear soft margins

md	Start bold mode

me	End all mode like so, us, mb, md, and mr

mh	Start half bright mode

mk	Dark mode (Characters invisible)

ML	Set left soft margin

mm	Put terminal in meta mode

mo	Put terminal out of meta mode

mp	Turn on protected attribute

mr	Start reverse mode

MR	Set right soft margin

nd	Cursor right one character

nw	Carriage return command

pc	Padding character

pf	Turn printer off

pk	Program key %1 to send string %2 as if typed by user

pl	Program key %1 to execute string %2 in local mode

pn	Program soft label %1 to show string %2

po	Turn the printer on

pO	Turn the printer on for %1 (<256) bytes

ps	Print screen contents on printer

px	Program key %1 to send string %2 to computer

r1	Reset string 1 to set terminal to sane modes

r2	Reset string 2 to set terminal to sane modes

r3	Reset string 3 to set terminal to sane modes

RA	disable automatic margins

rc	Restore saved cursor position

rf	Reset string filename

RF	Request for input from terminal

RI	Cursor right %1 characters

rp	Repeat character %1 for %2 times

rP	Padding after character sent in replace mode

rs	Reset string

RX	Turn off XON/XOFF flow control

sa	Set %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 attributes

SA	enable automatic margins

sc	Save cursor position

se	End standout mode

sf	Normal scroll one line

SF	Normal scroll %1 lines

so	Start standout mode

sr	Reverse scroll

SR	scroll back %1 lines

st	Set tabulator stop in all rows at current column

SX	Turn on XON/XOFF flow control

ta	move to next hardware tab

tc	Read in terminal description from another entry

te	End program that uses cursor motion

ti	Begin program that uses cursor motion

ts	Move cursor to column %1 of status line

uc	Underline character under cursor and move cursor right

ue	End underlining

up	Cursor up one line

UP	Cursor up %1 lines

us	Start underlining

vb	Visible bell

ve	Normal cursor visible

vi	Cursor invisible

vs	Standout cursor

wi	Set window from line %1 to %2 and column %3 to %4

XF	XOFF character if not \fB^S\fP

.fi

.PP

There are several ways of defining the control codes for string capabilities:

.PP

Every normal character represents itself,

except \(aq^\(aq, \(aq\e\(aq, and \(aq%\(aq.

.PP

A \fB^x\fP means Control-x.

Control-A equals 1 decimal.

.PP

\ex means a special code.

x can be one of the following characters:

.RS

E Escape (27)

.br

n Linefeed (10)

.br

r Carriage return (13)

.br

t Tabulation (9)

.br

b Backspace (8)

.br

f Form feed (12)

.br

0 Null character.

A \exxx specifies the octal character xxx.

.RE

.IP i

Increments parameters by one.

.IP r

Single parameter capability

.IP +

Add value of next character to this parameter and do binary output

.IP 2

Do ASCII output of this parameter with a field with of 2

.IP d

Do ASCII output of this parameter with a field with of 3

.IP %

Print a \(aq%\(aq

.PP

If you use binary output, then you should avoid the null character (\(aq\\0\(aq)

because it terminates the string.

You should reset tabulator expansion

if a tabulator can be the binary output of a parameter.

.IP Warning:

The above metacharacters for parameters may be wrong: they document Minix

termcap which may not be compatible with Linux termcap.

.PP

The block graphic characters can be specified by three string capabilities:

.IP as

start the alternative charset

.IP ae

end the alternative charset

.IP ac

pairs of characters.

The first character is the name of the block graphic

symbol and the second characters is its definition.

.PP

The following names are available:

.PP

.nf

+	right arrow (>)

,	left arrow (<)

\&.	down arrow (v)

0	full square (#)

I	lantern (#)

-	upper arrow (^)

\&'	rhombus (+)

a	chess board (:)

f	degree (')

g	plus-minus (#)

h	square (#)

j	right bottom corner (+)

k	right upper corner (+)

l	left upper corner (+)

m	left bottom corner (+)

n	cross (+)

o	upper horizontal line (-)

q	middle horizontal line (-)

s	bottom horizontal line (_)

t	left tee (+)

u	right tee (+)

v	bottom tee (+)

w	normal tee (+)

x	vertical line (|)

~	paragraph (???)

.fi

.PP

The values in parentheses are suggested defaults which are used by the

.IR curses

library, if the capabilities are missing.

.SH SEE ALSO

.BR ncurses (3),

.BR termcap (3),

.BR terminfo (5)

.SH COLOPHON

This page is part of release 4.15 of the Linux

.I man-pages

project.

A description of the project,

information about reporting bugs,

and the latest version of this page,

can be found at

\%https://www.kernel.org/doc/man\-pages/.