Configure ncurses terminal files

How to configure ncurses terminal files

Clib2 now has a working ncurses library support. But to use the library you need to configure AmigaOS4 so the library can find the correct terminal.

In the package there is a directory called terminfo that contains clib2 terminal specifications.
This directory needs to be copied into OS4 ENVARC: folder. Final tree must be this one:

• ENVARC:
  • terminfo
    • a
      • amiga-clib2
      • amiga-clib2-mono

Once files are copied you can use setenv command in your shell to choose the right file you want to use.
The default one is amiga-clib2. This version supports 16 colors and it is working very well even if it has some flaws occasionally. amiga-clib2-mono is the mono version but it has some problems when you scroll a line horizontally and exceed the last column.

So for example to set amiga-clib2 terminal, use:

setenv TERM amiga-clib2

Both files are created via termcap.os4 file using tic command present into ncurses package.

To use ncurses library, install or compile ncurses package and add -I{SDK_PATH}/local/clib2/ncurses to your makefile

To compile ncurses use this configure command line:

./configure --host=ppc-amigaos --prefix={SDK_PATH}/local/clib2 CFLAGS="-O3 -mcrt=clib2 -gstabs" CXXFLAGS="-O3 -mcrt=clib2 -gstabs" LDFLAGS="-mcrt=clib2 -athread=native" --without-dlsym --without-ada --with-termpath=ENVARC:termcap.os4 --disable-db-install --without-manpages -disable-rpath-hack --enable-getcap --disable-stripping --enable-termcap --enable-wgetch-events --enable-sigwinch --enable-ext-colors --with-terminfo-dirs=ENVARC:terminfo --with-default-terminfo-dir=ENVARC:terminfo

Replace {SDK_PATH} with your SDK installation path.

It is also possible to enable wide char support but since AmigaOS4 shell doesn't support unicode it is useless and charaters are rendered wrong.

Make sure you have a mono font set in Console prefs under OS4.