Setting Up NetTerm

September 2002

Installation

The NetTerm terminal emulation software is used by a Windows based computer workstation to connect to a remote Linux or unix server that is running the Open Systems Accounting Software. The program is available for download over the internet from: http://www.netterm.com

To begin the installation, you should find the current archive file that was downloaded and contains the installation program. At this time the file name is: nt3242ei.exe. Double-click on this program file in Explorer, or use the Start/Run command to execute it.

When the installation program begins, it has the standard welcome screen and click next to continue. You will notice as you proceed through the installation that you are accepting all of the default values and simply clicking next to continue. You can accept the default destination location then next. On the select components screen there should be a check in the first option to copy the program files, and no check in the second box concerning overwriting the ini file. Click next. Accept the suggested program folder of NetTerm and click next.

The installation program will copy the necessary files into the appropriate places and it will tell you when it is finished. In the new NetTerm program group on the programs menu you will find: NetTerm, NetFtpd, and uninstall. This new group is open and on the screen right after you have finished the installation. Since most users would use this program often during the day, I find it handy to copy the NetTerm icon from the program group and place it on the Windows desktop. You can right-click and drag the icon to the desktop, release, and then left-click on Copy here.

Configuration

There are several settings that must be set inside the program for it to function properly with OSAS. As in most graphical interface programs, there is more than one way to get at and set some of the settings. I will outline one way.

Start up the NetTerm program. In the upper left, pull down the File menu and choose Phone Directory.

Host Name

This name is only a label used by NetTerm to keep track of your settings. Keep the name simple with no spaces as we will use it later in customizing the icon properties to launch the program.

Host/IP

Enter the IP address of the linux/unix server. If you have name resolution configured for your network, you may enter the host name in this box instead of the IP address.

Telnet Port

This is always set at 23.

Emulation

Make sure this is set to SCO-ANSI.

Connection

This should be set to TCPIP.

Keys

This should be set to SCO-ANSI.

Click OK on this screen to save the phone directory entry with these initial settings.

The remaining settings will be set by going to the top and clicking Options, then selecting Setup. On the Setup menu there are several options we must configure. The first screen we want to check is the Fonts screen:

On the Font screen you can select any font that looks good to you. The available fonts may differ from one machine to the next as it all depends on what fonts are installed on your Windows system. The BBX font works well if you have it. The size you will need to experiment with as it all depends on what resolution you have your screen set at. The size setting effects how big the emulation window is, and how big the OSAS program appears when you are running it. A size setting between 12 and 17 is usually in the ballpark. You may set this now and feel free to return here to change it later if you want to make the screen bigger or smaller.

Near the bottom of the Fonts screen, change the Color to WHITE. When all settings are set, click OK.

The next screen we want to configure is the Keyboard Keys:

From Options, Setup, choose Keyboard Keys. Click on the Load button in the lower right, and select Keys-SCO-Ansi. Now click on the + key that is on the far right just above the <enter>. In the change box on the bottom line you will see a character that is not the + key. Delete that character and replace it with a single + key. With a + key in the change box at the bottom, click on the Change button, then click the Save button, click OK to confirm to save SCO-ANSI, then click OK to finish. (Note that this change is necessary to insure that the + key on the far right works correctly while in the terminal emulator. If this key is giving you trouble in OSAS, then it is likely because the key has not been fixed by following the above procedure.)

Now go to Options, Setup, Desktop:

The desktop settings should be set as shown above. In particular, the settings that may differ from defaults are: screen rows should be 25, the cursor should be LINE, under Line Control – Local Echo should NOT have a check, and the scrollback lines should be set to 200. Make any necessary adjustments and click OK.

Now go to Options, Setup, Global Settings:

In the global settings screen, we want to make sure that all the control boxes on the General tab do NOT have any checks in them. Uncheck any boxes at the top of the General tab. Next, click on the Printing tab. On the printing tab, you should put a bullet next to Send direct to Windows spool queue, and click on the Setup Printer button to choose a default printer. (Note that this printer configuration may not be used, but this setting is generally the best generic setting, and the setting that is usually applied when it is used.) When finished with the General tab, and the Printing tab, click OK to save these settings.

The entire configuration is complete. All of the settings you changed are saved immediately as you make the changes. You may now exit the program.

Customizing the Icon

The NetTerm icon on your desktop can be customized to launch your specific phone directory entry each time you start the program. To customize NetTerm, from the desktop where you see the icon for the program, right-click on the icon and select properties. On the line for the target, you will see something like:

"C:\Program Files\netterm\netterm.exe"

Being careful not to accidentally delete what is already there, press the right-arrow to move to the end of this line. At the end of the line, past the last quote, put a space and the name you gave your phone directory entry. So the target will look like:

"C:\Program Files\netterm\netterm.exe" Myconfig

After your change, press OK to save it.

Now when you double-click on this icon to go into NetTerm, it will automatically connect to your server using the custom settings we have in place. When you go back in to the program, you may want to play with the fonts and the screen position to get it just right. When the font and screen are just right, go to Window at the top of the NetTerm screen and click on Save Current Window Position. Now, each time you exit and come back in, NetTerm will connect to your server and the window will come up in your selected spot and size.

Licensing NetTerm

On the Help menu in NetTerm is a link to order the product on-line. With a credit card, you can order the product and purchase as many seats as you need. After you receive the registration key back from them (in a matter of minutes via email) you can go to the Help menu, register, and enter your registration code. After you have officially registered, the reminder to register when you exit will disappear.