From 07a231717fe38e030a6a3f9c696784d3858990df Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Sebastian J. Bronner" Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 23:46:14 +0100 Subject: Improve availability of functional terminfo entries --- README.terminfo.rst | 77 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 77 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.terminfo.rst (limited to 'README.terminfo.rst') diff --git a/README.terminfo.rst b/README.terminfo.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c5f4b6d --- /dev/null +++ b/README.terminfo.rst @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +Terminfo Entries +================ + +:Author: Sebastian J. Bronner +:Date: 2019-10-30 +:URL: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/st + +The Problem +----------- + +Most Linux-based distributions will have the bulk of their terminfo entries in +the ``ncurses`` package. These live in ``/usr/share/terminfo``. There you will +find several entries for ``st``. These, however, do not work well with current +versions of ``st``. You need the terminfo entries supplied with ``st``. + +Specifically, I have observed the following issues when using the terminfo +entries supplied with ``ncurses``: + +* Start ``st``. +* Run ``tmux`` in the ``st`` window. +* Run ``nvim`` in ``tmux``. + + * ``tmux`` will crash immediately with the following message: + + .. code:: console + + [lost server] + % + +* Run ``w3m`` with any URL in ``tmux``. + + * ``w3m`` will not react to any key presses (most notably the arrow keys and + ``q``) and must be terminated with ``killall w3m``. + * The command line returned where ``w3m`` was running will show all the + missing keypresses. + +For reference, I performed these tests using the following software versions: +``st`` 0.8.2, ``tmux`` 2.9_a, ``neovim`` 0.4.2, and ``w3m`` +0.5.3.git20190105-1. + +The Solution +------------ + +The ``ncurses`` package should stop shipping terminfo entries for ``st``. These +should then be provided in ``/usr/share/terminfo`` by this (and other) ``st`` +packages. The conflicting terminfo entries are + +* ``st`` and +* ``st-256color``. + +Additional entries that could be considered for removal from ``ncurses`` are + +* ``st-0.6``, +* ``st-0.7``, +* ``st-16color``, +* ``st-direct``, +* ``stterm`` (for distributions that rename ``st`` to ``stterm``), +* ``stterm-16color``, and +* ``stterm-256color``. + +This solution cannot be implemented without the cooperation of ``ncurses`` +since many distributions (including Arch Linux) do not allow for two packages +that provide files with identical paths to be installed side-by-side. +Therefore, I am bringing this to the attention of the ``ncurses`` team. + +The Workaround +-------------- + +A somewhat painful, albeit pragmatic, workaround is as follows: A user that +encounters issues that are due to mismatched terminfo entries, such as those +above, can symlink the terminfo entries included in this package into her +user-level terminfo database using the following commands: + +.. code:: shell + + mkdir ~/.terminfo/s + ln -s /usr/share/st/terminfo/s/* ~/.terminfo/s -- cgit v1.2.3 From 0ce8ba0ecf338a512b2f275a305fca7012b2271d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Sebastian J. Bronner" Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2019 00:19:19 +0100 Subject: Update terminfo explanation and workaround --- PKGBUILD | 8 +++---- README.terminfo.rst | 69 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- terminfo.patch | 23 ++++++++++++++---- 3 files changed, 63 insertions(+), 37 deletions(-) (limited to 'README.terminfo.rst') diff --git a/PKGBUILD b/PKGBUILD index 299e8f4..7c5e658 100644 --- a/PKGBUILD +++ b/PKGBUILD @@ -5,19 +5,18 @@ pkgname=st pkgver=0.8.2 -pkgrel=9 +pkgrel=10 pkgdesc='A simple virtual terminal emulator for X.' arch=('i686' 'x86_64' 'armv7h') license=('MIT') depends=(libxft) -makedepends=(libxext ncurses) url=https://st.suckless.org source=(https://dl.suckless.org/$pkgname/$pkgname-$pkgver.tar.gz terminfo.patch README.terminfo.rst) sha256sums=(aeb74e10aa11ed364e1bcc635a81a523119093e63befd2f231f8b0705b15bf35 - b282c0b963a24299d02e485af30260d237ca2e8e6b06282d385022c9c10a0950 - 9a1b764cedd3a6288cc6601a3cdce06f4ab993f44de7aea5afd69511c13df7c0) + bf6c8b73a606a8e513c7919d91f93ed7aeb5f44e80269bb244cc01659145a5ea + 0ebcbba881832adf9c98ce9fe7667c851d3cc3345077cb8ebe32702698665be2) _sourcedir=$pkgname-$pkgver _makeopts="--directory=$_sourcedir" @@ -69,4 +68,5 @@ package() { install $installopts "$licdir" "$_sourcedir/LICENSE" install $installopts "$docdir" "$_sourcedir/README" install $installopts "$docdir" README.terminfo.rst + install $installopts "$shrdir/$pkgname" "$_sourcedir/st.info" } diff --git a/README.terminfo.rst b/README.terminfo.rst index c5f4b6d..cd724d0 100644 --- a/README.terminfo.rst +++ b/README.terminfo.rst @@ -2,16 +2,16 @@ Terminfo Entries ================ :Author: Sebastian J. Bronner -:Date: 2019-10-30 +:Date: 2019-11-06 :URL: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/st The Problem ----------- -Most Linux-based distributions will have the bulk of their terminfo entries in -the ``ncurses`` package. These live in ``/usr/share/terminfo``. There you will -find several entries for ``st``. These, however, do not work well with current -versions of ``st``. You need the terminfo entries supplied with ``st``. +Most Linux-based distributions will have their terminfo entries in the +``ncurses`` package. These live in ``/usr/share/terminfo``. There you will find +several entries for ``st``. As of ``ncurses-6.1`` as packaged in ArchLinux, +these, do not work well with current versions of ``st``. Specifically, I have observed the following issues when using the terminfo entries supplied with ``ncurses``: @@ -38,40 +38,53 @@ For reference, I performed these tests using the following software versions: ``st`` 0.8.2, ``tmux`` 2.9_a, ``neovim`` 0.4.2, and ``w3m`` 0.5.3.git20190105-1. -The Solution ------------- +A couple of issues have been filed against ``tmux`` for this. Although it is +not a problem with ``tmux`` the issues remain for reference: + +| https://github.com/tmux/tmux/issues/1264 +| https://github.com/tmux/tmux/issues/1593 -The ``ncurses`` package should stop shipping terminfo entries for ``st``. These -should then be provided in ``/usr/share/terminfo`` by this (and other) ``st`` -packages. The conflicting terminfo entries are +Complications +------------- -* ``st`` and -* ``st-256color``. +While it may be tempting to use the terminfo files shipped with ``st``, that +would be a bad idea from a packaging standpoint. There are two reasons for +this: (1) As of ``st-0.8.2`` they have errors in them. This has been fixed and +will roll out in the next release, though. -Additional entries that could be considered for removal from ``ncurses`` are +| https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-ncurses/2019-10/msg00071.html +| https://lists.suckless.org/hackers/1911/17006.html -* ``st-0.6``, -* ``st-0.7``, -* ``st-16color``, -* ``st-direct``, -* ``stterm`` (for distributions that rename ``st`` to ``stterm``), -* ``stterm-16color``, and -* ``stterm-256color``. +(2) It is vital that remote terminals connecting via ``ssh`` are known. That is +accomplished by having all terminfo files in one package (like ``ncurses``). -This solution cannot be implemented without the cooperation of ``ncurses`` -since many distributions (including Arch Linux) do not allow for two packages -that provide files with identical paths to be installed side-by-side. -Therefore, I am bringing this to the attention of the ``ncurses`` team. +``ncurses`` has released updated terminfo entries. The problem as described +above is fixed. However, the updated terminfo entries are not installed on +ArchLinux because they were released as a standalone file without a new release +of the rest of ``ncurses``. + +The Solution +------------ + +The solution must be to get the updated terminfo entries packaged for +ArchLinux. I believe that the ``ncurses`` package should be updated to that +effect. + +https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/57596 The Workaround -------------- A somewhat painful, albeit pragmatic, workaround is as follows: A user that encounters issues that are due to mismatched terminfo entries, such as those -above, can symlink the terminfo entries included in this package into her -user-level terminfo database using the following commands: +above, can populate a user-level terminfo database from the terminfo entries +supplied by ``st``. The following command will do this: .. code:: shell - mkdir ~/.terminfo/s - ln -s /usr/share/st/terminfo/s/* ~/.terminfo/s + tic -sx /usr/share/st/st.info + +The generated terminfo database will most likely be placed in ``~/.terminfo``. +The command will print the actual location used. Unfortunately, these files +need to be kept up to date by hand. Actually they should probably be removed as +soon as a new version of ``ncurses`` is released. diff --git a/terminfo.patch b/terminfo.patch index e91e91f..0f2ae88 100644 --- a/terminfo.patch +++ b/terminfo.patch @@ -1,12 +1,25 @@ ---- Makefile 2019-02-09 12:50:41.000000000 +0100 -+++ Makefile 2019-10-30 23:39:55.775193275 +0100 -@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ +--- Makefile.old 2019-02-09 12:50:41.000000000 +0100 ++++ Makefile 2019-11-07 00:00:24.487953923 +0100 +@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1 sed "s/VERSION/$(VERSION)/g" < st.1 > $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1/st.1 chmod 644 $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1/st.1 - tic -sx st.info -+ mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/st/terminfo -+ tic -sx -o $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/st/terminfo st.info @echo Please see the README file regarding the terminfo entry of st. uninstall: +--- st.info.old 2019-02-09 12:50:41.000000000 +0100 ++++ st.info 2019-11-07 00:01:02.605412883 +0100 +@@ -189,10 +189,10 @@ + rmxx=\E[29m, + smxx=\E[9m, + # tmux extensions, see TERMINFO EXTENSIONS in tmux(1) +- Se, +- Ss, + Tc, + Ms=\E]52;%p1%s;%p2%s\007, ++ Se=\E[2 q, ++ Ss=\E[%p1%d q, + + st-256color| simpleterm with 256 colors, + use=st, -- cgit v1.2.3