VT100 Info


Ask the System Manager
(Frequently Asked Questions)
by Thomas Wallis

VT100 and the Internet

Question: What is a VT100 and why is it important?

In the days before PCs, most computing work (including UNIX) was carried out on DUMB TERMINALS . A dumb terminal is a device with a monitor and a keyboard that hooks up to a powerful central computer. It has little or no independant processing capability. Without the central computer, the dumb terminal is useless. A VT100 is a dumb terminal built by DEC. VT100s used to be VERY common. Some users liked to take their VT100s home and dial into the central computer using a modem. This was possible using VT100s. All of our free dial-up access for students is still built around the dumb terminal system. In order to use our system remotely, your computer must be able to mimic (or EMULATE) a VT100. It doesn't make any difference to us what kind of machine you have at home, as long as our systems think you are using a VT100.

Question: I would like to use the Internet from at home. Can I do this through WSU?

If you have a sufficiently powerful home computer, you can load up special software on your computer to use the Internet from at home. You will need to get this software and sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) . All of the providers charge a fee. Once you have a provider and the software the provider gives you, you can use your home machine to navigate the Internet. You can also use a variety of SSH programsto log onto the WSU machines (see the UNIX Short Guide). The commands would be something like this:

ssh sisko.cs.wichita.edu

ssh kira.cs.wichita.edu

You would not be required to dial into our modem pool to use our machines.

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