Xterm

Software terminal emulation under the X Window System

The graphical user interfaces of most Linux and Unix operating environments are built on the foundation of the X Window System, an open technology developed by a consortium of vendors and educational institutions and now administered by the X.Org section of the X/Open Group.

The basic xterm application of the X Window System does a decent emulation of a DEC VT102, and most variants can also emulate the Tektronix 4014 for vector-graphics display. As with most Unix things, basic documentation on xterm may be viewed by typing "man xterm" at the shell prompt (or look here).

Thomas Dickey has enhanced the original concept with an xterm version that supports ANSI/ISO color (including background-color erase) and most functions of the DEC VT220 terminal except for a handful (DECSTR, the KAM and SRM modes, the ones pertaining the doublesize and soft characters, and, of course, blink).

With the usual distributed xterm code, if you want such amenities as scrollbars for the window, you'll have to add some options into your ~/.Xdefaults file. Also, I've found that some users are unaware of the menu for selecting the screen font, which you can invoke by holding down the Control key and depressing the right mouse button (with the mouse cursor in the xterm window).

• Information about the "xterm" or "dtterm" software terminals under X Windows.
• News about xterm codes.
• Control sequences honored by xterm.
• OSF/Motif X and xterm news
• Gnome Terminal news
  
  
• Xterm sequences (troff source)
• Xterm terminal-control sequences (kitebird: PDF)
• Recommendations for Xterm resources
• Xterm patch (shar.Z)
• Xterm Key Manipulations (and NumLock workaround) (jove)
• The seyon program eases modem dialing from xterm.
  
  
• Archived general discussion about the X Windows system, some of it old.
• Hints for UNIX terminal use.
• General information on operating-system terminal setup.
• How to control the color of characters on a terminal screen.
• (entry page for information on character-cell video terminals)

Information on the X Window System: X11R5, X11R6, etc.

• X Window User HowTo (LDP, or from UK site)
• X FAQ (faqs.org)
• X FAQ (alternate link: landfield.com)
• X FAQ for Intel-Based Unix (1999 edition)
• DCE FAQ (faqs.org)
• xterm hints in Russian (vitus)
  
  
• How X Cut and Paste Work (jwz.org)
• Support Discussion Forum for X/Motif (MotifZone.com)
• How to Use Remote X Applications (LDP, or direct from the author)
• Open Source Fonts for Gnome Terminal (Bitstream Vera Fonts .TTF)
• Notes on X Server Security (LDP)
• CIAC Advice on Securing X Windows (ciac.llnl.gov)
• Open Software from MITRE Corporation (including WOSIT: Widget Observation Simulation Inspection Tool)
• 1995 Listing of X Terminals on the Market (before absorption)

Rudimentary Information on X Terminal hardware:

Note how an X terminal bears a strong resemblance to the recently proclaimed "Network Computer". If you need to know more about these, read the Network Computer Frequently Asked Questions document.

• Collected information on X terminals.
• Frequently Asked Questions about X Terminals (from RTFM)
• NCD Tech Tips Archive for X Terminals (1999 link...or see other NCD support links)
• Configuration and font files for NCD X terminal for Athena (MIT)
• Info and setup files for Hewlett-Packard/HP Envizex, Entria, and 700/RXS X-Terminals (Brian McElroy/ductape.net)
• Graphon Terminal Discussion
• List of X Terminals

Various X Information on the Internet

Even if you using some other X-Windows-based terminal emulator, such as rxvt or Eterm, to enjoy the fullest set of features (such as color text), you may need to get and install Eric Raymond's global master terminfo database.

The comprehensive Motif/X Windows documentation published by O'Reilly and Associates is now available as a free download from Imperial Software Technology and directly from O'Reilly's "OpenBook" web site.

• The Road to X/Motif (A. David Marshall/U. Cardiff)
• Athena Stock Answers about X Window System (MIT)
• Dickey's xterm with ANSI color and VT220
• Xterm Frequently Asked Questions (T.E. Dickey)
  (includes keyboard setup parameters for better DEC terminal emulation)
• Configuring Backspace & Delete keys for Linux
  
  
• General network commentary on mice and pointing peripherals
• Native xterm implementation for IBM OS/390 (ftp: epa.gov)
• xterm/rxvt control-code list (MIT)
  
  
• MI/X 2.0 now costs $25, but it's a reliable low-cost X Server for Windows.
  (The vendor, MicroImages, provides a price-comparison list of other Windows X servers.)
• On the other hand, MI/X for Macintosh MacOS 9.x seems still to be free.
• The Cygwin/XFree86 X Server is a free (GPL) Windows option.
• Xming is a variant of Cygwin's server.
• Hob-Link X Server for Windows (free download?)
• The Linux 3-Button Serial Mouse mini-HowTo (linuxdoc.org)
  (You'll want a 3-button mouse to use MI/X.)
• X Mouse Wheel Scroll Page (www.inria.fr/colas)
  
  
• rxvt terminal-emulator program (see also Freshmeat reference)
• Eterm Development Home Page
• xvt VT100 emulator for X (hpux.cict.fr)
• mxterm color terminal emulator with Motif support (hpux.cict.fr)
• emu programmable terminal emulator (hpux.cict.fr)
• VNC: Virtual Network Computing (RealVNC: free remote stateless client)
• The Built-In VMware Server Backdoor: VNC (article by Petri)
• Tight VNC (Constantin Kaplinsky's enhancements)
  
  
• rdesktop: open-source server for Microsoft "Remote Desktop Protocol" connections to Linux/Unix (rdesktop.org)
• XRDP: open-source server for "Remote Desktop Protocol" connections to Linux/Unix, plus X (sourceforge.net)
• Kenton Lee's X Resource List
  
  
• Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP: thin clients in the GNU/Linux environment)
  (See related hardware at DisklessWorkstations.com.)
• DLX Linux boots on a 486 from a floppy disk and includes X.
• Setting up an old 486-based PC as an X Server. (Pedro Fortuny Ayuso)
  
  
• X Consortium (where the X Windows System comes from)
• Frequently Asked Questions about X (MIT:RTFM)
• How to change the "xterm" title. (TLDP)
• Xterminal.sourceforge.net (the "eXtended terminal"--a set of widgets on a curses screen)
• Backspace fix for Linux console/keyboard (lbl.gov)
• What in the world is an X Terminal? (1st Solutions, 1999)
• List of X Terminal Vendors (Stokely Consulting)
  
  
• The Motif Zone (site for X and Motif software developers) ::::
• Motif Home Page (Freedom Software)
• CDE: The Common Desktop Environment (OpenGroup information)
• Hewlett-Packard CDE Documentation (HP, PostScript)
• X Windows Internationalization/Localization Framework (Sun via x.org)
• X Windows User-Contributed Documentation (x.org)
• aixterm command documentation (IBM)
• dtterm command documentation (IBM)
  
  
• Local Area Network Information (jmwobus/syr)
  
  
• Setting up Old PCs as X Terminals to connect to Linux (Kaszeta: 2004 link)
• billgPC bootp software for Windows 2000/NT/98/95 (L. Perin)
  
  
• Connecting an X Terminal to Linux (sunsite)
• Linux HowTo: Connect to Tandberg TV6230F X-Terminal (Rolf Hemmerling)
• Imperial College libXterm user doc (short display-control example)
• Hidden MacX Features (parkb)
• Linux/Xfree86 Keymap for Microsoft Enhanced Keyboards (ens.fr)
• Andrew's guide to terminals and keymappings (mostly Linux/bash)
  (alternate site)
  
  
• mXshowfont (shows fonts known to the X server, by Muhammad A. Muquit)
• X Windows section of BU Unix User's Guide
• XDMCP and X11 Forwarding Using SSH
• xterm character set (M. Ramsch--GIF)
• Configure xwsh for "VT100" keyboard layout (SGI FAQ at TAMU)
• "man" page for xmodmap (motifzone.com)
• Attachmate's tech-support notes on xmodmap (2008 link updated) ::::
  
  
• Special Windows keys on 104-key keyboard gain a life with UNIX X Windows (Sun)

Instructions for using the DEC VXT 2000 windowing terminal may be found in the "system management" section of the on-line documentation (VAX CD-ROM 1 of 3) available at Acorn Software's site.

Software

See also the local PC/Mac/WS-emulation page.

• The XFree86 Project (X Window Server for PC-based UNIX/Linux systems)
  
  
• X11 for Mac OS X (Apple)
• X11 for Mac OS X Unofficial FAQ
• XFree86 X server for Darwin/Mac OS X (XonX, easy install)
• XDarwin XFree86
• OroborOSX is an X11 window manager for Mac OS X.
• OroborosX Support Forum
• XFree86 4.2.0 for Macintosh
• Patches needed for XFree86 4.2.0 to run on Mac OS X 10.2/Jaguar
  
  
• XFree86/OS2 project (set.gmd.de: X Server for OS/2)
• X on Intel-based Unix--Frequently Asked Questions
• Xweb (Broadway--can launch X clients from a Web browser + LBX)
  
  
• dxpc: Differential X Protocol Compressor (vigor.nu)
• XMX: X protocol multiplexer (multiple displays: Brown U.)
• Stanford xterm version that performs ANSI color sequences (3.1.1, stanford.edu)
• Unix xterm version that performs ANSI color sequences (for X11R4, by <jmg@dxcoms.cern.ch>)
• ansi-xterm with Motif scrollbar (a hack for Linux by Muhammad A. Muquit)
• Unix x3270 (emulates IBM 3278/3279 under X windows...stale link?)
• Unix mterm (ftp.cs.umass.edu: emulates VT102 and Tektronix 4014)
• Iowa HP/UX software collection (which contains
  GenTerm.tar.gz, a terminal widget, and
  x3270-3.0.3.7.tar.gz, an IBM 3270 emulator for X)
  
  
• XKeyCaps GUI for Xmodmap--swap keys in X (www.jwz.org)
• XKeyCaps 2.22 (ftp.cs.umass.edu)
• XKeyCaps 2.44 (hpux.cict.fr)
• X Window System contributed software (mirror: ftp.khoros.unm.edu)
• Archive of DECwindows/X Window software (Cena mirror, July 1997)
  
  
• Caolan's Cool X Tips(xdm login, etc)
• xscreensaver
• XAnim (animation, video, audio player for X--or use alternate site)
• Keyboard redefinition for ISO-8859-1 characters (auf Deutsch: lrz-muenchen/richter)
• Peter Radcliffe's NetBSD-based Xterminal configuration for SLC/ELC
• ThinTUX (small Linux distro for thin clients) ::.
• Seth Robertson's Xkernel package for old Sun3 machines (ftp)
• SPARC-Linux X Terminal Package (gol.com: same idea but for SPARC)
• Jamie Zawinski's Nerd Documents (flames about X, Emacs vs. Xemacs, email, character sets, HTML, Linux)
  
  
• DECUS X11tek (V00463 for DECwindows/X11, in C, emulates Tektronix 4010/4014)
• Glenn Pinkerton's EasyX graphics package (ftp)
• The Sinister X Conspiracy
• Xcopilot (Palm OS emulator for X)

Links to vendor pages

• Seagull Software (vendor of BlueZoneX terminal emulation for X)
• Alas, in 2005 Network Computing Devices (NCD, the well known Xterminal vendor) went out of business.
  Some former employees set up a new company, Thin Path Systems, to carry on.
• Axel, Inc. introduced during 2003 the AX3000/75E terminal, which supports the multiplatform VNC X11-based remote graphics protocol, in addition to MS-RDP and IBM 5250/3270.
• 1st Solutions, Inc. (AZ: ADDS and Qume X terminal dealer)
• ThinkNIC thin-clients/X-servers based on Linux
• Neoware Systems, Inc. (formerly HDS, Human Designed Systems),
  vendor for NeoStation RDP/CE client, @workStation (...and here is the Neoware FTP site)
• Xig.com (vendor of CDE for Linux)
• GraphOn (Go-Global X servers and Go-Joe Java server)
• Metro Link X Server (embedded X, also IA-64)
• AT Labs (NetTerminal and multi-display graphics adapters)
• Wyse Technologies
• SunRiver Data Systems has changed its name to
          Boundless Technologies.
• Beam Ltd. (XVIL X server software for visually impaired, etc.)
  
  
• Powerlan-USA, selling the eXodus X server with Tektronix and ReGIS graphics.
  (This vendor, formerly the Connectivity division of White Pine, also sells WebTerm-X: a product for using X applications from a Web Browser, and Tunnel-Mate, for secure X sessions across the Internet.)
• Exceed X Server (Cail)
• ViewNow X Server for Windows (was NetManage; before that was FTP OnNet)
• Rumba X Server for Windows (NetManage)
  
  
• xTools (Tenon: Cocoa application, rootless X Windows on Mac OS X Aqua desktop)
  
  
• Hummingbird Connectivity from OpenText (Exceed X server running on a Windows PC) :::
• WRQ (Reflection X X display/server software for Windows, has this (installation guide)
• Attachmate Corporation sells client programs, including a (demo version of the KEA X! X graphics server under Windows.
• PC-Xware (NCD/demo)
• Tarantella (XVision Eclipse X server; formerly SCO/Visionware/IXI)
• Tektronix (has phased out its thin clients, WinDD, and ThinStream.)
  
  
• Lab-Pro Online Systems, Ltd. (X-WinPro, $99 US with free demo...
  or try the Labtam Finland site)
• TriTeal Corporation (Windows/Unix desktop integration, WinTED)
  
  
• Xi Graphics offers notes on which laptops can run Solaris X86...
  and offers Accelerated-X free demos for downloading.
  
• Solstice Net Client (PC-X)
• Diversified Computer Systems resells Hummingbird eXceed/X products.
• Quarterdeck Corp. (eXpertise for Win95)
• Pericom Software PLC (teemX Server)
• Xmanager (for Windows: netsarang.com)
• Pexus Systems (X-Deep/32 for Windows 95/98 and NT/2000, under $60)
  
  
• StarNet Communications Corp. (Micro-X: DOS, Win32)
  Starnet offers X-Win32 LX (which lets you run X applications locally on your Windows machine) for free.
• AGE Logic (XoftWare for MacOS or Windows)
  
  
• WeirdX (Jcraft Pure Java X Server: GPL)
• X-Secure-Pro (SSH-connected X display/server for Windows from Labtam
  
  
• IBM Client/Server Computing
• IBM Network Computer (thin client)
• I/O Concepts (X-Direct: Unix to mainframe)
• Bochs (1999: portable x86 PC Emulation)
• Intuisys (Cub'X-Window for NeXTstep/OpenStep)
• Hewlett-Packard NetStations (X Terminals)
• GNOME Desktop Accessibility in Solaris
• GNOME Desktop Accessibility in Solaris
• BEAM XVI-SB Display (with Braille and speech output for visually impaired users)
• JustLinux X Windows Help

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