Baslinux mailing list

[<keesan2 AT cyberspace.org>]

On Thu, 15 May 2003 jamtat AT mailsnare.net wrote:

> On Thu, 15 May 2003 keesan2 AT cyberspace.org wrote:
> 
> > Another way to run more than four console programs at one time is to
> > download and install screen (screen 3.9) which I think I found at
> > Slackware 8 but it runs with Slackware 7.  You can run 10 programs on 10
> > 'screens' in one virtual terminal and toggle between them and even cut and
> > paste between them without a mouse.  You need to run 'screen -x' to cut
> > and paste between virtual terminals.  I can now cut and paste between my
> > two monitors.  Ratpoison is modelled on 'screen'.  The man page is sort of
> > hard to understand but I think there is a simple help screen.  To toggle
> > between two screens you use a simple command like Ctrl-C Ctrl-C or you can
> > specify the number of the screen if you have several.
> >
> > If you have managed to set yourself up a free account at my bbs you can
> > try out screen there and read the man page.  It is an old program.
> >
> Interesting information.  I looked at ratpoison some time ago but was a
> bit confused about how it works and how to operate it.  Then, I decided
> that if it would take even me awhile to figure it out, that my wife would
> be totally mystified by it and would cease using the computer.  I decided
> on this realization not to pursue it further.  I'll give this some more
> thought, though.  Seems like screen or ratpoison could help address the
> matter of virtual terminal shortage.

Ratpoison will probably take up more RAM to run the same programs since it
is running them in an xterm and each xterm takes up some RAM.  To use
ratpoison you either put ratpoison in .xinitrc instead of icewm, or put no
wm in .xinitrc but put xterm and then you can type ratpoison in the xterm. 
Ctrl-T C makes an xterm (full-screen) from which you can run any program. 
The welcome screen to ratpoison says, I think, to type Ctrl-T ? or
something similar for a short help screen.  You can make several xterms
and toggle between them using the commands on the help screen, which are
identical or at least very similar to those for 'screen'. 


I can check whether a second screen uses as much RAM as a second virtual
terminal.


I can send you a list of the basic commands for screen that I have used. 
All I know to do with ratpoison so far is make one xterm in which I run
Opera. 

> 
> Re: your bulletin board.  You set up a Pine account for me there, but I
> have never managed to telnet in using Linux.  Perhaps I need to use ssh?
> Windows will telnet in, but not Linux.  I asked a couple of other people
> (JP and someone who was visiting his IRC channel) to try it out and they
> got the same results: neither was able to telnet in using Linux, but the
> one who had Win installed (Win2k I believe) was able to telnet in using
> it.  I really have no idea why this is so.  But I've confirmed it myself
> several times from several different Win/Linux machines, and others have
> corroborated my results.  The address I've tried is www.grex.org .
> 
> James
> ________________________________

I have telnetted there using the telnet program that comes with BL2, also
the Kermit telnet program.  You need to set up the account as 'force
vt100' or tell Kermit to use vt100 when telnetting or some things won't
work right (Lynx).  What happens exactly when you try to telnet?  You need
to wait for a while sometimes as there can be a queue (of up to 25 people
waiting to get in, but usually only a few people).  

Perhaps I have set up the account wrong.  My two accounts are csh.  I can
set you up a csh account with a copy of my .cshrc.  I probably chose plain
bash for you.

You can also try telnetting to www.grex.org and signing in as newuser and
choosing your own login and password and shell and having it identify your
terminal - perhaps that will work better.

If telnet won't work, ssh might not work either.  I have never used ssh.