Using a Mac's xterm as a remote Tektronics display for a FreeBSD 12.1 Server
How to use the macos terminal as a remote tektronics display device for a terminal graphics process running on another unix system. In this case, freebsd.
Prerequisites
- Mac OS X installed (mine is a MacBook Pro running Mojave by choice)
- XQuartz 2.7.11 (X11 for Mac)
- FreeBSD 12.1 installed (mine is a Thinkpad T430) w/X11
Install gnuplot on freebsd
We need a graphics proces that’s simple and easy to use from the command line.
sudo pkg install gnuplot
Start a terminal on macos
ssh -Y astra
xterm -bg black -fg green &
gnuplot -e "set terminal xterm; plot [-5:5] sin(x)"
opens a tektronix window showing a sine wave
Start a terminal first and then switch to tek mode
- Requires either a three-button mouse or that xterm is emulating three buttons:
In xterm, open preferences.
On the Input tab, check Emulate three button mouse
Close preferences.
Fire up an xterm
$ xterm
press ctrl-option-click
or click the middle button of a mouse and select switch to tek mode
in the menu that appears.
in texmode window
gnuplot -e "set terminal xterm; plot [-5:5] sin(x)"
Notes
- xterm on mac works pretty well. to help it out, remember to open preferences and set emulate 3 button mouse (unless you are actually using one, in which case, this isn’t necessary). Then to access:
- Main Options Menu:
Ctrl-Click
- VT Options:
Ctrl-Option-Click
- VT Fonts Menu:
Ctrl-Cmd-Click
- The xterm is pretty smart about opening the Tektronix display as needed (the sine wave window is a graphics terminal). You can fire up your own Tek window by bringing up the VT Options Menu and selecting “Switch to Tek Mode”
post added 2022-12-02 08:28:00 -0600