Using PowerTerm
PowerTerm is a terminal emulator that allows you to login to a Smith host (AIS, Angel, Anne, Bessie, or Sophia). PowerTerm will work whether you are using an on campus, networked PC or dialing in from home.
Contents
Logging On from an On-Campus Networked PC
Logging On from an Off-Campus PC via Modem
Printing
Displaying 132 Characters in VAX Window
Customizing the PowerTerm Environment
Troubleshooting
Logging On from an On-Campus Networked PC
To log onto a Smith College host from an on campus PC:
- Open PowerTerm (usually found in the Internet Tools program group). The main window is displayed.
- Click the Connect button
- The Connect dialog box is displayed.
- In the Sessions List, click to select the host you want to login to.
- Click the Connect button. The login screen for the host is displayed.
- Login as usual.
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Logging On from an Off-Campus PC via Modem
These instructions assume that your modem is connected and PowerTerm is configured in accordance with the "Installing PowerTerm" document and that you are making a local call.

- Open PowerTerm. The main window is displayed.
- Click the Connect button
.
- The Connect dialog box is displayed.
- In the Sessions List, select the DIALIN session you would like to use.
- Check the modem settings in the Parameters Box . You may need to adjust the Dial Number .
The Dial Number is the number that must be dialed to reach Smith College. If you are dialing from outside the local area, you will need to include 1 and the area code (eg: 1-413-585-3760). If you are in a hotel, the front desk can tell you if you need to include a number to reach an outside line (eg: 8-1-413-585-3760).
- Click the Connect button. This dials the phone and connects you to the campus backbone. If your modem could not connect to the Smith College campus backbone, please refer to the Troubleshooting section at the end of this document.
- If you are able to connect, you will see the prompt:
You may now enter Net/One commands.
>>
type Connect hostname and press Enter (where hostname is the name of the host you want to login to). The login screen is displayed.
- Login as usual.
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Printing
There are two different types of printing in PowerTerm. A screen print will print out exactly what you see on the screen. The auto print feature allows you to capture everything you see on your screen until you turn it off. Then it sends it all to the printer. This is especially useful if you want to print out long mail messages that exceed one screen or if an application (like First Search) requires you to capture printing.
For a Screen Print:
Click the Print Screen button 
To Use the Auto Print Feature:
- Turn on the feature by clicking on the Start Auto Print button
.
- Work as you normally would until everything you want to print has been displayed on the screen.
- Turn off the feature by choosing clicking on the Stop Auto Printing button
Note: The Print Screen key on your keyboard does not send printout to the printer.
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Displaying 132 Characters in a VAX Window
Many VAX users need to be able to display files that are 132 characters wide. In PowerTerm, this is a two step process. One time at the beginning of each session, you must prepare PowerTerm for displaying 132 characters. Then anytime you wan t to, you can easily switch back and forth from 80 characters to 132 characters.
To prepare PowerTerm to Display 132 Characters:
- Login as usual.
- Click the Show Power Pad button
- Click on the Prepare Terminal Wide button.
- Close the power pad window.
To switch from 80 character display to 132 character display:
Click the Change to 132 Columns button. 
To switch from 132 character display to 80 character display:
Click the Change to 80 Columns button 
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Customizing the PowerTerm Environment
The pre-defined configurations should meet the needs of most users. However, you may want to customize these configurations for yourself by changing screen colors, altering key mappings, adding a history scrollbar, or changing the way you exit the program.
Changing Screen Colors
In PowerTerm you can change the text color and the background color for many different attributes. For example, you might make the NORMAL attribute white text on a blue background and then make the REVERSE attribute blue text on a white back ground. Although PowerTerm allows you to change the screen colors for 16 attributes, most host programs will not use more than four. So, when you change your screen colors, you will generally want to do it for the following four attributes: NORMAL, REVERSE, BOLD, UNDERLINE.
To change screen colors for an attribute:
- Login to the host for which the colors will be changed.
- From the Terminal menu, choose Setup...
- Click on the Colors tab. Figure 3 shows the resulting window.
- In the Select Attributes list box , click to select the attribute you want to change.
- Click in the Text palette to select the color you want to use for text.
- Click in the Background palette to select the color you want to use for the background.
- Repeat steps 3-5 for each attribute you want to change.
- Click on the OK button.
- From the File menu, choose Save Terminal Setup.
Adding a History Scrollbar
You may want to add a scrollbar to your terminal window so that you can scroll back and see the history of what has been displayed on the screen. Caution: Use of the scrollbar may alter the functioning of PgUp and PgDn in some applications.
To add a history scrollbar:
- Login to the host for which a scrollbar will be added.
- From the Terminal menu, choose Setup...
- Click on the Display tab. Figure 4 shows the resulting window.
- In the General frame, click to place a checkmark in the History Scrollbar checkbox.
- Click on the OK button.
- From the File menu, choose Save Terminal Setup.
Changing Your Key Mappings
A VAX or Unix terminal keyboard is different from a PC keyboard. In order to use the PC keyboard, you may need to associate certain terminal keys with specific PC keys. This is called a key mapping.
To change your key mapping:
- Login to the session you want to re-configure.
- From the Options menu, choose Keyboard Map.
- Click and drag the VT keyboard key to the desired PC keyboard key.
- Click on the OK button.
- From the File menu, choose Save Terminal Setup.
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Troubleshooting
PowerTerm configuration files have been created to meet the needs of most users. However, there will be exceptions. The following instructions may help you deal with problems that arise due to our diverse environment.
Updates to the troubleshooting section of this document can be found on the IS home page at www.smith.edu/is/document.
Problem: Screen Print Does Not Work
If you are using Windows 95 and are unable to print to a networked printer, it may be that the printer port (lpt1) has not been captured to a network print queue.
To capture lpt1:
- From the Windows Start menu, choose Settings, Printers .
- Right click on the icon for your printer and choose Properties from the popup menu.
- Click on the Details tab.
- The correct queue name is already selected in the Print to the following port text box. Right-click on the queue name and choose Copy from the popup menu.
- Click on the Capture Printer Port button.
The Capture Printer Port dialog box will appear as shown below.

- Choose LPT1 from the Device drop list.
- Right Click in the Path text box and choose Paste from the popup menu.
- Place a checkmark in the Reconnect at login checkbox by clicking on the box.
- Click on the OK button.
- Click on the OK button.
Problem: Your Phone is Configured for Pulse Dialing
If your phone is configured for pulse dialing, you will need to use one of the session configurations that have been setup for pulse phones. They are:
DIALIN-PULSE (general kb)
DIALIN-PULSE (Banner kb)
If you need to change the phone number, you will need to edit the pulse script.
To edit the pulse script:
- From the Script menu, choose Edit Script.
- Click to select Pulse.psl then click on the Open button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions for Long Distance Use to change the phone number in the SEND line.
- From the File menu, choose Save.
- From the File menu, choose Exit.
Problem: US Robotics Modem Does Not Connect
If you are dialing in with a US Robotics Sportster modem, the normal configuration files may not work for you. US Robotics modems require special parameters to connect to Smith. These settings have been defined in a special set of configurat ion files.
To setup special configuration files for use with a US Robotics modem:
- From the Start menu in Win95 or the program manager File menu in Win31, choose Run.
- In the textbox, type: c:\pterm32\usrobot1
- Click on the OK button.
- Try to connect again. If the modem still doesn't connect, repeat step 1 .
- In the textbox, type: c:\pterm32\usrobot2
- Repeat step 3.
If you need to change the phone number, you will need to edit the modem script.
To edit the modem script:
- From the Script menu, choose Edit Script.
- Click to select modem.psl then click on the Open button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions for Long Distance Use to change the phone number in the SEND line.
- From the File menu, choose Save.
- From the File menu, choose Exit.
Problem: Practical Peripherals Modem Does Not Connect
If you are dialing in with a Practical Peripherals 33.6 External fax/modem, the normal configuration files may not work for you. Practical Peripherals modems require special parameters to connect to Smith. These settings have been defined in a special set of configuration files.
To setup special configuration files for use with a Practical Peripherals modem:
- From the Start menu in Win95 or the program manager File menu in Win31, choose Run.
- In the textbox, type: c:\pterm32\practper
- Click on the OK button.
- Try to connect again.
- If you need to change the phone number, you will need to edit the modem script.
To edit the modem script:
- From the Script menu, choose Edit Script.
- Click to select modem.psl then click on the Open button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions for Long Distance Use to change the phone number in the SEND line.
- From the File menu, choose Save.
- From the File menu, choose Exit.
Problem: Page Up and Page Down Keys Do Not Work
If you turn on the history scrollbar, you may find that the Page Up and Page Down keys do not work in some applications. You will need to turn off the history scroll bar to restore normal functioning to the Page Up and Page Down keys.

To turn off the history scrollbar:
- Login to the host for which a scrollbar will be removed..
- From the Terminal menu, choose Setup...
- Click on the Display tab. Figure 7 shows the resulting window.
- In the General frame, click to remove the checkmark in the History Scrollbar checkbox.
- From the File menu, choose Save Terminal Setup.
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