[LispM-Hackers] Keyboard problem

[James A. Crippen]

John Morrison <jm@mak.com> writes:

> I found a funky looking cable with a DB-25 and a DB-9 (or whatever a PC
> "COM" connector is) wired together at each end.  Weirdest cable I've
> seen that *I* didn't make.  Hope the cable is either null-modemed (or
> not) as is required.

You want null modem for computer<->computer.  Id est, DTE on both
ends.  There are useful null modems you can find at your local cable
shop that have *both* DB25 and DB9 at each end.  That, a straight thru
version, and two homosexual adapters will cover every eventuality you
should ever encounter with modern serial equipment.  Except for
connections to things like Cisco routers (which use an RJ-45
connector) and DEC terminals (which often use an MMJ or RJ-12
connector, which is just RJ-11 with the key on one side instead of the
center and with a different pinout).

> I have RH7.2 (and Windows98) on the Guinea Pig PC box, so I guess I'll
> try and make sure that things are electrically nice between the two
> boxes.
> 
> We don't have "tip" any more these days, do we?

No, but C-kermit is still around...

>  I guess I should use minicom?  Is there a better choice?

Minicom works pretty well in my experience.  I've used it as a serial
terminal for all sorts of purposes.  And under Linux the serial port
is ultra-configurable (using setserial) so you should be able to get
it to do anything you want.

Of course, you could always just 'tee /dev/ttyS0 logfile' if you're so
inclined.  But that just doesn't seem very clean unless you really
like your terminal stuck in raw mode with the hobbit set on everything...

Using WinDOS for serial purposes is usually a loss.  Not only does the
serial driver not always behave consistently (gee it decided to try
frobbing the sound card's IRQ today!), but the included terminal
software (Hyperterm) sucks rotten eggs.  Not just ordinary rotten
eggs, but those Chinese century eggs that they let ferment in green
tea and then bury in the ground for a hundred years.  There are good
aftermarket serial terminal emulators for Windows, but you'd probably
be better off using Linux instead.  You can even get 'ANSI' color
working under Minicom without much hassle, if you're so inclined.  Put
that in Hyperterm's pipe and smoke it.

'james

-- 
James A. Crippen <james@unlambda.com> ,-./-.  Anchorage, Alaska,
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