From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Peter Dyballa Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: Cannot open termcap database file for emacs? Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 20:31:23 +0200 Message-ID: <78fb33e88955f16278da6e6be13f3fa4@Web.DE> References: <1122745711.408528.87540@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v622) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1122748446 7861 80.91.229.2 (30 Jul 2005 18:34:06 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 18:34:06 +0000 (UTC) Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sat Jul 30 20:33:58 2005 Return-path: Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Dyw9f-0002At-3E for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 20:33:51 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DywCD-0002ph-PY for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:36:29 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1DywBw-0002or-VG for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:36:13 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1DywBu-0002nN-AI for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:36:10 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DywBu-0002n5-65 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:36:10 -0400 Original-Received: from [217.72.192.225] (helo=smtp07.web.de) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA:24) (Exim 4.34) id 1DywJ2-00005W-Ei for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:43:32 -0400 Original-Received: from [84.245.189.48] (helo=[192.168.1.2]) by smtp07.web.de with asmtp (TLSv1:RC4-SHA:128) (WEB.DE 4.105 #297) id 1Dyw7J-0002yK-00; Sat, 30 Jul 2005 20:31:25 +0200 In-Reply-To: <1122745711.408528.87540@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> X-Image-Url: http://homepage.mac.com/sparifankal/.cv/thumbs/me.thumbnail Original-To: "Erik the Red" X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.622) X-Sender: Peter_Dyballa@web.de X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:28289 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:28289 Am 30.07.2005 um 19:48 schrieb Erik the Red: > emacs is definitely installed because a man page comes up when I type > "man emacs". That's no proof: a man page can exist without the binary, and=20 viceversa. Try 'which emacs'! > > However, if I try to run emacs, it gives me this error message in = bash: > > emacs: Cannot open termcap database file > You have two choices: run emacs as an X client inside its own window=20 (for which you need to launch X11 and set the environment variable=20 DISPLAY) or you set in your terminal emulations the environment=20 variable TERMCAP and give it as value the absolute to the file=20 termcap.src inside the emacs distribution. If Emacs has to run without its own windows inside a terminal emulation=20= it needs to know some properties of this terminal to move the cursor,=20 'split' the terminal to create buffers and the mode-line with=20 mini-buffer, etc. This information is taken from the termcap file.=20 Since modern UNIX systems rely on TERMINFO Emacs seems to be like an=20 elderly woman that once, before the war, used to pay in shilling and=20 pence and guineas (in UK), it still needs TERMCAP, which once was the=20 file /etc/termcap. This file has become part of the Emacs distribution=20= as the file termcap.src, usually in=20 /usr/local/share/emacs//etc/termcap.src. This file might be to old, not knowing your modern terminal emulation.=20= You can use the terminfo utilities (tic, infotocap, toe, captoinfo,=20 infocmp, ...) to convert the most needed terminfo entries to termcap=20 format and store it in some private dot file, $HOME/.termcap for=20 example. Start with 'man 5 terminfo', 'man 5 term' to learn some basics=20= -- if Ubuntu doesn't provide them, debian will have it. 'apropos=20 termcap' and 'apropos terminfo' might give you some more appropriate=20 pointers. -- Mit friedvollen Gr=FC=DFen Pete Der Bezug einer Zeitung oder der Kauf eines Buches gibt niemand das=20 Recht, an die Verfasserinnen von Artikeln oder B=FCchern dreiste Briefe=20= zu schreiben. (Friedrich Sieburg)