CHAPTER 6 FREE-NET SETUP After logging on and finding out how to get around, the next step is to ensure that OSFN is set up to match the characteristics of your terminal or terminal emulator. First, at the command line, enter "go config". This will get you to the Set Environment Parameters menu from which you can SELECT the appropriate items. Next, SELECT - Set Your Default Editor. There are four choices here: - Dave's editor, - Chet's Editor, - Upload/download, and - No editor. The last choice is a little confusing. To do some things such as editing files in your work directory you must SELECT 1, 2 or 3 first. However, for preparing mail messages, "no editor" is an acceptable choice. The mail system has a very simple editor built in, and it will be used unless one of the other editors is selected. If you are using a terminal with very limited capability, the no editor choice may be your only workable option. Dave's Editor, a normal BBS-style line editor, is a straight forward text editor that does automatic word wrapping at the end of a line and moves the cursor with the arrow keys. It also has a simple menu that appears at the bottom of the screen to display the available commands. One must press enter on a blank line during or after writing the message in order to display and use these commands. Chet's Editor is also available, which has many more features, but also takes practice before one becomes a proficient user. It is a full-screen, emacs-style editor. HINT: More information on how to use Chet's Editor may be found in the main Help menu under - Help with Editors. You will need the editor any time you prepare a mail message, or post to a discussion group, or edit files in your working directory. It should be noted, that if you want to use Chet's Editor you MUST have an intelligent terminal such as a VT-100, or use your terminal emulator software in VT-100 mode. These editors will NOT work with a basic teletype or similar terminal. For such a basic terminal you must stick with the simple default editor (i.e. the No Editor choice), which is, unfortunately, a bit of a pain to use. After setting your Editor, return to the Set Environment Parameters menu and SELECT - Set Your Terminal Type. If you are using a real computer terminal, find the type on the displayed terminal list that matches what you are using, and SELECT it. If you are using a computer with emulation software that has been set to VT-100 as recommended, then SELECT VT-100 from this menu. If for any reason your emulator is not set for VT-100, then SELECT something from the menu that matches the emulation. It is important that your terminal and OSFN be in agreement. It should also be noted that when running some programs on OSFN, Chet's Editor for instance, you need more than a basic terminal. If the program requirements exceed the capability of the terminal that you have set up, you will see the diagnostic "Incomplete Termcap Entry". Return again to the Set Environment Parameters menu and SELECT - Set Terminal Characteristics. Most of the default settings should be correct for your use, so it is recommended that you do not change most of these parameters. The exception is that you should SELECT - Set your Character Erase Key to "Backspace". This will ensure that the left arrow key on the upper right side of your keyboard operates as a "backspace and delete" key, i.e. the cursor moves one space to the left, and the character that was there is deleted. FINALLY, RETURN THE SET ENVIRONMENT PARAMETERS MENU AGAIN AND SELECT - SAVE YOUR ENVIRONMENT PARAMETERS MENU. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO THIS SINCE IT WILL ENSURE THAT THE VARIOUS SELECTIONS THAT YOU HAVE MADE ARE SAVED PERMANENTLY IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT FILE, AND ARE ACTIVATED EVERY TIME YOU LOG ON. YOU CAN THEN EXIT TO THE MAIN MENU. IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT THE SETTINGS THAT YOU MAKE ON YOUR LOCAL EQUIPMENT (TERMINAL OR TERMINAL EMULATOR SOFTWARE) SUCH AS TERMINAL TYPE, DELETE CHARACTER, ETC., MUST EXACTLY MATCH THE SETTINGS USED IN YOUR FREE-NET SETUP. FAILURE TO DO THIS CAN LEAD TO VERY ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF YOUR SCREEN OUTPUT. IF YOU HAVE DOUBT AS TO YOUR TERMINAL SETTINGS AT ANY TIME, YOU CAN GET AN IMMEDIATE DISPLAY OF ALL CURRENT SETTING BY ENTERING THE COMMAND "PRINTENV" ON THE COMMAND LINE. A typical display, showing the recommended settings is below: Terminal Type = vt100 Number of Columns = 80 Number of Rows = 24 Editor to Use = /files/Free-Net/rootdir/bin/chets/fn/fn Character Erase Key = BACKSPACE Command Interrupt Key = CTRL-C Don't Use the Pager = OFF Don't Pause After Each Message = OFF Don't Confirm Exit Requests = OFF Don't Show Menus = OFF CBREAK Mode = OFF  .