terminfo vs. termcap

[a.e.mossberg]

In <6912 at ig.ig.com>, <will at presto.ig.com> wrote:
>In article <1312 at umbio.MIAMI.EDU>, aem at ibiza.Miami.Edu (a.e.mossberg) writes:

>> /etc/termcap is BSD.  AT&T came up with a compiled version which loads
>> somewhat faster, and uses very similar source files. Most, if not all, BSD
>> systems use /etc/termcap. Terminfo is used by Sys V and derivatives (A/IX,
>> A/UX, etc).

>Just a note to say that /etc/termcap didn't originate at Berkeley.
>Version 7 and System III from AT&T used it, too.

Possibly true. The major program that uses termcap is curses, which was written
at Berkeley, and all of the other files that use termcap style information
(printcap, acucap) are for berkeley programs.  And if ATT developed termcap,
where is anything from them that used it? Why didn't they expand it rather
than come up with terminfo?  The only systems I've seen without termcap
have been System III.  


aem
a.e.mossberg aem at mthvax.miami.edu MIAVAX::AEM (Span) aem at umiami.BITNET (soon)
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