ncurses 6.6-20260314 can no longer read xterm_256color extended attributes on redhat 8+ systems

Todd Richmond <[email protected]> Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:19:16 +0000
Newsgroups gmane.comp.lib.ncurses.bugs
Message-ID <DS0P220MB17666050CF5B1D7014C8508493C72@DS0P220MB1766.NAMP220.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>
--_000_DS0P220MB17666050CF5B1D7014C8508493C72DS0P220MB1766NAMP_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Nurses on Redhat 8 and Alma 9 systems can no longer handle the large extend=
ed attributes of TERM such as xterm_256color

This is proven simply by running =93infocmp xterm-256color=94 vs "infocmp -=
x xterm-256color=94. The -x option causes =93no match in terminal database =
for terminal type=94. The =93clear=94 command also returns =93unknown termi=
nal type=94

Strace on =93clear=94 shows the terminal file opened+read correctly but it =
fails during initialization

ncurses 6.6-20260301 works correctly so that 2 week window should narrow do=
wn the problem. No later version up to and including ncurses 6.6-20260711 h=
as a fix

Here are my configure options, but I=92ve tried many variants w/o diff - es=
pecially trying to remove -disable-widec, enable-relocatable, enable-sp-fun=
cs, and with-gpm. None make a difference. Ncurses is compiled with gcc 15 a=
nd 16 and all the absolute latest gnu utils - not the OEM components



--disable-db-install --disable-widec --enable-fvisibility --enable-relocata=
ble --enable-pc-files --enable-sp-funcs --libdir=3D$dstlibdir --with-cxx-sh=
ared --with-gpm --with-shared --datadir=3D/usr/share


TIA


--_000_DS0P220MB17666050CF5B1D7014C8508493C72DS0P220MB1766NAMP_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DWindows-1=
252">
</head>
<body>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
Nurses on Redhat 8 and Alma 9 systems can no longer handle the large extend=
ed attributes of TERM such as xterm_256color</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
This is proven simply by running =93infocmp xterm-256color=94 vs &quot;info=
cmp -x xterm-256color=94. The -x option causes =93no match in terminal data=
base for terminal type=94. The =93clear=94 command also returns =93unknown =
terminal type=94</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
Strace on =93clear=94 shows the terminal file opened+read correctly but it =
fails during initialization</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
ncurses 6.6-20260301 works correctly so that 2 week window should narrow do=
wn the problem. No later version up to and including ncurses 6.6-20260711 h=
as a fix</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
Here are my configure options, but I=92ve tried many variants w/o diff - es=
pecially trying to remove -disable-widec, enable-relocatable, enable-sp-fun=
cs, and with-gpm. None make a difference. Ncurses is compiled with gcc 15 a=
nd 16 and all the absolute latest
 gnu utils - not the OEM components</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
<p style=3D"direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style=
=3D"font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">--disable-db=
-install --disable-widec --enable-fvisibility --enable-relocatable --enable=
-pc-files --enable-sp-funcs --libdir=3D$dstlibdir
 --with-cxx-shared --with-gpm --with-shared --datadir=3D/usr/share</span></=
p>
<p style=3D"direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style=
=3D"font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br>
</span></p>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
TIA</div>
<div style=3D"direction: ltr; font-family: &quot;&amp;quot;Aptos&amp;quot;&=
quot;, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"=
>
<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>

--_000_DS0P220MB17666050CF5B1D7014C8508493C72DS0P220MB1766NAMP_--