Mini Shell

From bargi@dots.physics.orst.edu Thu Aug 31 23:42 MET 1995
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From: Hadi Bargi Rangin <bargi@dots.physics.orst.edu>
Message-Id: <199508312141.OAA15627@dots.physics.orst.edu>
Subject: README.DOTSCREEN
To: screen@uni-erlangen.de
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 14:41:47 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: bargi@dots.physics.orst.edu (Hadi Bargi Rangin)
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Hallo,

   leider war readme file fuer dotscreen nicht in unserem dotscreen-Packet, 
deshalb schicke ich es Euch nachtraeglich.  Nachdem Ihr unseren packet
getestet habt, koennen wir Euch anrufen und vielleicht mehr ueber die
Einzelnheiten sprechen, ob wir unsere Weiterentwicklung koordinieren
wollen.

Danke,

Gruss,
Hadi

===============================================================================
Quick introduction to dotscreen
-------------------------------

1. Introduction
2. Is dotscreen different as screen?
3. Installation instructions
4. Functions description
5. Further development


1. Introduction
=============== 

Dotscreen, is a system which allow a person direct access to unix via
a braille display. The emphasis is on direct, because the braille
display is connected directly to the serial port on the unix
machine. You no longer must use a dos machine running a terminal
emulation logged into a unix machine.  Dotscreen is built on top of
screen, a powerful full-screen window manager for unix tty terminals.
Screen keeps track of what is being displayed in each window that it
is managing so that it can easily switch back and forth between these
windows. Dotscreen makes this stored window information available via
a braille display. Dotscreen only allows access to tty terminal
sessions, it does not allow access to X-Windows, however, it will run
in an xterm window. Currently, it works with the TSI Navigator 40 and
the TSI PowerBraille 40 braille displays. We plan to support other
displays as demand and information about other displays is made
available to us

2. Is dotscreen different than screen?
======================================

All of screens functions still work in dotscreen. A few of the
functions are not accessible via braille, but we expect to remedy that
in future releases.

3. Installation instructions
============================

Please read the INSTALL file for full installation instructions.
In addition to those instructions, note that you must create
a .screenrc file and that file must contain the type of braille
display that you are using and the serial device that the display
is connected to. A minimal .screenrc file should contain something
like the following four lines, (these are only examples, please
customize them for your configuration)


# example of .screenrc when using  braille display
bd_start_braille on
bd_type  powerbraille_40
bd_port  /dev/ttyS0
bd_braille_table /home/gardner/us-braille.tbl
# end of example


4. Functions description
========================

The basic operation of screen is described in README.  The braille
navigation commands are similar to commands usually found on dos
braille screenreaders. Also, because dotscreen is built on top of
screen, the user can switch back and forth easily between many running
applications.  The braille commands can be changed any time after
starting screen using the internal screen "C-a :" command line.  All
braille commands begin with "bd_"; following is the list of braille
commands:

bd_start_braille on/off      # Starts/stops using braille features on screen
bd_link on/off               # links/unlinks braille cursor to/from screen cursor
bd_bell on/off               # turn on/off sending bell-signal to terminal
bd_scroll on/off             # enables/disables scrolling
bd_skip on/off               # skip/don't skip balnk lines
bd_width <integer-value>     # number of braille cells that user want to use,
                             # this value is always <= total number of cells
bd_ncrc <interger-value>     # number of cells displayed on the right side 
                             # of physical cursor (default = 1)   
bd_info  <integer-value>     # displays braille/screen cursor position 
                             # depending on its value, (no info: 0, only 
                             # bc-info: 1, only sc-info: 2, bc- and sc-info: 3
bd_port <serial-device>      # serial port which braille display is connected to
bd_braille_table <bl-table>  # braille table to be used. German, US and GS 
                             # braille tables are provided
bd_type <braille-display-type> 
                             # braille display type being used     

Note: currently valid value for some parameters:
bd_type: 
 1. navigator_40 
 2. powerbraille_40.

bd_braille_table:
 1. gr-braille.tbl     German braille code
 2. us-braille.tbl     US computer braille code
 3. gs-braille.tbl     GS braille code

Since the braille tables are in files, you should give the full
pathnames of the files either in .screenrc or using the
internal screen "C-a :" command line.

5. Further development
======================

As mentioned above, currently Dotscreen works with Telesensory braille
displays the PowerBraille and the Navigator because Telesensory has
given us the information needed to program their braille display. We
plan to add support for other braille displays when and if we get the
requisite information from the braille display manufacturer. 
Also some things such as cursor navigation from the braille display
have not been implemented. If you find a feature missing that
you wish to have, please contact us.

This software has been developed within the Science Access Project at
Oregon State University under the direction of John Gardner.

Authors:   Hadi Bargi Rangin (bargi@dots.physics.orst.edu)
	   Bill Barry (barryb@dots.physics.orst.edu)