[HECnet] Vt100 tester

[Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman-]

John Wilson <wilson at dbit.com> writes:

From: "Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman-" <system at TMESIS.COM>

Beware of the versions of VTTEST out there.   Someone in VMS engineering had
tried to make it DECC compatible and horked it completely.   I believe that
the version I have at the DECUS Library Compendium (DECUSlib.com) Freeware
CD version 4 is the only properly working version.   Don't dowload any try
to use any of the later versions.

Not like I'm *looking* for trouble here but ... I was horrified by how badly
Ersatz-11(my PDP-11 emulator)'s VT100 emulation (which I've always thought was
good) was failing test #1 (Test of cursor movements), and then mystified when
I logged the output and saw it depending on behavior that I'm 100% sure I
tested on real VT100s centuries ago and convinced myself they don't work the
way the test expects.   Then I got sidetracked with mounds of other fixes...

But today's exchange reminded me to unearth a real VT100 and schlep it out
within cable's reach of something which can telnet to great-escape.tmesis.com
and ... OK yes I have to investigate and fix my handling of setting tab stops
and of course I don't bother with smooth scroll at all (it's not reasonable
in text mode on the MDA/CGA/HGC/VGA) but other than that I was *delighted*
to see the real VT100-AA (with AVO) fail the tests in exactly the same way
as E11's VT100 emulation.

Which tests???



Am I insane, or do I have a counterfeit VT100 (would Eli Heffron steer me
wrong in ~1985?) or have these tests really not been tried on a plain ol'
VT100 in eons and there's bit rot no one has noticed?   Or some fourth option
I'm not thinking of?

Are Eli Heffron still in biz?

I've not tried these test on a plain ol' VT100.   The oldest kit I've used
was a VT220 and it passes all tests as expected.

-- 
VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker       VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)ORG

Well I speak to machines with the voice of humanity.