How to render solid borders in NCURSES windows

ku@ntum · #1 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009

Hello All Gr8 Linux Developers Out There,

Background
=========
I have created a ncurses application that is suppose to run only on the Linux's virtual console. This application will heavily utilize the ncurses windows to show window-based UI to the user. I am using CentOS5.x. The terminal for the virtual console is set to (TERM=linux).

I used the following code sequence to initialize the ncurses environment

Code:

initscr();
    getmaxyx(stdscr,y,x);

    noecho();
    cbreak();
    start_color();

    init_color(3,700,700,700);
    clear();
    wclear(stdscr);

The Issue
========
Currently I am unable to render solid borders in my windows. Ncurses produces solid borders for the windows using extended ASCII characters. Since I am unable to make ncurses to use extended characters, I assume I must have missing some setting in my code (may be using termios API). Currently I am fully rely on the ncurses to setup my virtual console to render solid borders. I have also tried my applications on other platform such as Fedora Core 10, and again it fails to render solid borders. However, when I run it on any pseudo terminal (using PuTTY) where TERM=xterm, it clearly renders the solid borders as I like. So I presume that there is something with the terminal type and/or driver.

Question
=======
Kindly state what should I do to enable extended character support on my virtual terminal(console) so that ncurses can render solid borders for my windows. Or if there is any code that I should add to my application that will enables my virtual terminal (/dev/tty1) to show extended characters letting nucurses to draw solid borders.

Thanks
Kashif Ali Siddiqui
Another Linux Developer striving to become a gr8 developer

fpmurphy · #2 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009

It would appear that your current terminal type (linux) may have the capabilities for solid colors. Run infocmp linux to see what your actual capabilities are. The terminfo man page will help you figure these out.

ku@ntum · #3 (**permalink**) 06-24-2009

When I ran the infocmp command, it shows the following output

Code:

#	Reconstructed via infocmp from file: /usr/share/terminfo/l/linux
linux|linux console, 
	am, bce, ccc, eo, mir, msgr, xenl, xon, 
	colors#8, it#8, ncv#18, pairs#64, 
	acsc=+\020\,\021-\030.^Y0\333`\004a\261f\370g\361h\260i\316j\331k\277l\332m\300n\305o~p\304q\304r\304s_t\303u\264v\301w\302x\263y\363z\362{\343|\330}\234~\376, 
	bel=^G, blink=\E[5m, bold=\E[1m, civis=\E[?25l\E[?1c, 
	clear=\E[H\E[J, cnorm=\E[?25h\E[?0c, cr=^M, 
	csr=\E[%i%p1%d;%p2%dr, cub1=^H, cud1=^J, cuf1=\E[C, 
	cup=\E[%i%p1%d;%p2%dH, cuu1=\E[A, cvvis=\E[?25h\E[?8c, 
	dch=\E[%p1%dP, dch1=\E[P, dim=\E[2m, dl=\E[%p1%dM, 
	dl1=\E[M, ech=\E[%p1%dX, ed=\E[J, el=\E[K, el1=\E[1K, 
	flash=\E[?5h\E[?5l$<200/>, home=\E[H, hpa=\E[%i%p1%dG, 
	ht=^I, hts=\EH, ich=\E[%p1%d@, ich1=\E[@, il=\E[%p1%dL, 
	il1=\E[L, ind=^J, 
	initc=\E]P%p1%x%p2%{256}%*%{1000}%/%02x%p3%{256}%*%{1000}%/%02x%p4%{256}%*%{1000}%/%02x, 
	invis=\E[8m, kb2=\E[G, kbs=\177, kcbt=\E[Z, kcub1=\E[D, 
	kcud1=\E[B, kcuf1=\E[C, kcuu1=\E[A, kdch1=\E[3~, 
	kend=\E[4~, kf1=\E[[A, kf10=\E[21~, kf11=\E[23~, 
	kf12=\E[24~, kf13=\E[25~, kf14=\E[26~, kf15=\E[28~, 
	kf16=\E[29~, kf17=\E[31~, kf18=\E[32~, kf19=\E[33~, 
	kf2=\E[[B, kf20=\E[34~, kf3=\E[[C, kf4=\E[[D, kf5=\E[[E, 
	kf6=\E[17~, kf7=\E[18~, kf8=\E[19~, kf9=\E[20~, 
	khome=\E[1~, kich1=\E[2~, kmous=\E[M, knp=\E[6~, kpp=\E[5~, 
	kspd=^Z, nel=^M^J, oc=\E]R, op=\E[39;49m, rc=\E8, rev=\E[7m, 
	ri=\EM, rmacs=\E[10m, rmam=\E[?7l, rmir=\E[4l, 
	rmpch=\E[10m, rmso=\E[27m, rmul=\E[24m, rs1=\Ec\E]R, 
	sc=\E7, setab=\E[4%p1%dm, setaf=\E[3%p1%dm, 
	sgr=\E[0;10%?%p1%t;7%;%?%p2%t;4%;%?%p3%t;7%;%?%p4%t;5%;%?%p5%t;2%;%?%p6%t;1%;%?%p7%t;8%;%?%p9%t;11%;m, 
	sgr0=\E[0;10m, smacs=\E[11m, smam=\E[?7h, smir=\E[4h, 
	smpch=\E[11m, smso=\E[7m, smul=\E[4m, tbc=\E[3g, 
	u6=\E[%i%d;%dR, u7=\E[6n, u8=\E[?6c, u9=\E[c, 
	vpa=\E[%i%p1%dd,

So kindly state so my virtual console can show extended characters (and enables ncurses to draw solid borders), and if so, then how can I do it.

Thanks.
- Kashif

fpmurphy · #4 (**permalink**) 06-24-2009

First, while in a VT, please invoke one of the system config scripts ending with "-tui" (text user interface) which are located in /usr/sbin. Is the screen output correct or not? Solid lines, etc?

ku@ntum · #5 (**permalink**) 06-25-2009

Yes, I tried the /usr/sbin/authconfig-tui, and it did give me the solid border UI, that I failed to achieve throu ncurses. Kindly state what should I do to get solid borders in my application windows.

Thanks
Kashif

ku@ntum · #6 (**permalink**) 06-29-2009

Anyone please.

I really need to know how can I make my ncurses to draw solid lines.

Kashif

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