Re: Move from termcap(5) to terminfo(5)

> Hello everyone,
> 
> I can't find any proper rationale in our history (maybe I missed it) which
> explains why our ncurses is stuck on using termcap(5) instead of terminfo(5)
> Except an argument in the Makefile that builds ncurses:
> "Used instead of the hideous read_termcap.c abomination."
> 
> Which I do not find really useful.
> 
> I would like to make the move from termcap to terminfo which would give us the
> bonus to be able to track terminfo sources from upstream aka ncurses and to
> add and use tic(1).
> 
> Given the very few people that are actually maintaining the termcap database. I
> don't think there is a good rationale at keeping our own format (as far as I
> know everyone moved to terminfo(5)) and parser.
> 
> Without any strong arguments against it I will start working on that move by
> next week.
> 
> If you have some knowledge you want to share: "be careful about this or that" I
> would be more than happy to collect it, to make sure the transition is as smooth
> as possible.

The feedback I have from the few people that *are* effected by our
lack of use of terminfo is positive on this change.
Our use of termcap is a pain for them, especially with the base vs
ports issues.

As far as I am aware the termcap vs terminfo is simply historical in
nature with no strong reason to change it.  It use to be that both
had pretty close shares of the supported by software segment.  That
historical precedence has worn thin, as there is very little support
for termcap today.


> Best regards,
> Bapt

-- 
Rod Grimes                                                 rgrimes_at_freebsd.org