Solaris 10, 256 colors in xterm, TERM definition

jk

unread,

Jul 28, 2009, 6:34:08 PM7/28/09

to

I'm a user (no admin privs) on a Solaris 10 box. I have TERM set to
xtermc which provides 16 colors. Is there a standard TERM that
provides 256 colors? I've tried sun-color and xterm.

Thanks,

jk

ThanksButNo

unread,

Jul 28, 2009, 8:28:41 PM7/28/09

to

First off, I presume you're connecting in to the console and
using X windows. Otherwise, your question doesn't make much
sense.

Secondly, are you sure your Solaris box even provides that
many colors? Many machines, depending on their age, will
require an extra graphics card to produce anything beyond
16 colors.

Assuming Gnome desktop:

Visit Launch->Preferences->Desktop Preferences->Display->
Screen Resolution

If that doesn't give you an error, you should be able to
change your screen settings there, including "color depth"
which is what you're looking for. 256 colors is 8 if I'm
not mistaken.

If that *does* give you an error, then you are very
probably S.O.L. (and that don't mean SOLaris!)

There is a configuration file buried someplace within
the X library files that describes the default setup for
X windows, including color and color depth. It can be
tweaked manually if the automatic configuration tools
haven't set it properly. I don't recall off-hand how
to find that file, but I believe you'd need supervisor
privilege to change it anyway.

/:-/

Thomas Dickey

unread,

Jul 28, 2009, 9:04:20 PM7/28/09

to

You didn't identify the terminal type that you're using
(usually a specific type of terminal emulator).

ncurses's terminfo database provides most of the flavors
now in use; Sun's terminfo database is ... old.

korney

unread,

Jul 28, 2009, 9:31:30 PM7/28/09

to

I'm using xterm. I've been looking through the terminfo db in /usr/
share/lib/terminfo, but nothing so far. Thanks. --jk

Richard B. Gilbert

unread,

Jul 28, 2009, 10:35:33 PM7/28/09

to

What hardware are we talking about? The identity of the machine is
helpful. The identity of the graphics hardware is even more helpful.

You may find it useful to download and read "Solaris Handbook for Sun
Frame Buffers" P/N 805-4441

You may also find it helpful to read:
"http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Thomas Dickey

unread,

Jul 29, 2009, 4:42:07 AM7/29/09

to

I'd create my "own" terminfo database by setting the TERMINFO
environment variable to point to my own directory as indicated in

man tic

xterm's sources (on my ftp area) contain a workable
terminfo file (with some extensions that Solaris tic will
complain about, but should otherwise ignore).

--
Thomas E. Dickey <dic...@invisible-island.net>
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net

Thomas Dickey

unread,

Jul 29, 2009, 4:43:48 AM7/29/09

to

On Jul 28, 10:35 pm, "Richard B. Gilbert" <rgilber...@comcast.net>
wrote:

> korney wrote:
> > On Jul 28, 9:04 pm, Thomas Dickey <dic...@his.com> wrote:
> >> On Jul 28, 6:34 pm, jk <jk.lists.questi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> I'm a user (no admin privs) on a Solaris 10 box. I have TERM set to
> >>> xtermc which provides 16 colors. Is there a standard TERM that
> >>> provides 256 colors? I've tried sun-color andxterm.
> >> You didn't identify the terminal type that you're using
> >> (usually a specific type of terminal emulator).
>

> >>ncurses'sterminfodatabase provides most of the flavors
> >> now in use; Sun'sterminfodatabase is ... old.
>
> > I'm usingxterm. I've been looking through theterminfodb in /usr/

> > share/lib/terminfo, but nothing so far. Thanks. --jk
>
> What hardware are we talking about? The identity of the machine is
> helpful. The identity of the graphics hardware is even more helpful.
>
> You may find it useful to download and read "Solaris Handbook for Sun
> Frame Buffers" P/N 805-4441

sorry - all of that's irrelevant to the actual answer.