[HECnet] Vt100 tester

[John Wilson]

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.

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?

John Wilson
D Bit