Re: xsrc/60398 (Line drawing in xterm does not work as expected)

The following reply was made to PR xsrc/60398; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Havard Eidnes <[email protected]>
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Re: xsrc/60398 (Line drawing in xterm does not work as expected)
Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:15:32 +0200 (CEST)

 > 1. Can you please start a fresh xterm in each version of NetBSD you
 >    tried, started however you normally start xterms, and share the
 >    output of `locale' in each fresh xterm?
 
 I usually don't mess with things I don't have to, so they all
 have
 
 $ locale
 LANG=""
 LC_CTYPE="C"
 LC_COLLATE="C"
 LC_TIME="C"
 LC_NUMERIC="C"
 LC_MONETARY="C"
 LC_MESSAGES="C"
 LC_ALL=""
 $ 
 
 I also have Alt-B and Alt-F committed to muscle memory as usable
 line editing characters in tcsh, and if I'm not terribly mistaken,
 those are no longer usable in a locale containing UTF-8, and are
 instead interpreted as Something Else.
 
 > 2. Can you share any .Xdefaults or .Xresources file you have?
 >
 > 3. Can you share the output of `xrdb -q'?
 
 These come down to basically the same:
 
 $ xrdb -q | egrep -i xterm
 XTerm*ScrollBar:        true
 XTerm*scrollbar*thickness:      7
 XTerm*multiScroll:      true
 XTerm*saveLines:        1000
 XTerm*scrollInput:      false
 XTerm*scrollKey:        true
 XTerm*visualBell:       true
 XTerm*cursorColor:      violet red
 xterm.waitforwm:        false
 XTerm*background:       bisque
 XTerm*foreground:       black
 XTerm*deleteIsDEL:      true
 XTerm*ptyInitialErase:  true
 XTerm*ttyModes: erase ^?
 XTerm*numLock:  false
 XTerm*backarrowKeyIsErase:      true
 XTerm*backarrowKey:     true
 $ 
 
 > 4. Can you share the output of `appres XTerm'?
 
 $ appres XTerm
 *tekMenu*vtshow*Label:  Show VT Window
 *tekMenu*tektextsmall*Label:    Small Characters
 *tekMenu*vtmode*Label:  Switch to VT Mode
 *tekMenu*tektextlarge*Label:    Large Characters
 *tekMenu*tekpage*Label: PAGE
 *tekMenu*tekreset*Label:        RESET
 *tekMenu*tektext2*Label:        #2 Size Characters
 *tekMenu*tekhide*Label: Hide Tek Window
 *tekMenu*tekcopy*Label: COPY
 *tekMenu*tektext3*Label:        #3 Size Characters
 *tekMenu.Label: Tek Options
 *MenuButton*borderWidth:        0
 *menubar.borderWidth:   0
 *mainMenu*redraw*Label: Redraw Window
 *mainMenu*oldFunctionKeys*Label:        Old Function-Keys
 *mainMenu*interrupt*Label:      Send INT Signal
 *mainMenu*8-bit control*Label:  8-Bit Controls
 *mainMenu*logging*Label:        Log to File
 *mainMenu*sunFunctionKeys*Label:        Sun Function-Keys
 *mainMenu*hangup*Label: Send HUP Signal
 *mainMenu*print-immediate*Label:        Print-All Immediately
 *mainMenu*sunKeyboard*Label:    VT220 Keyboard
 *mainMenu*terminate*Label:      Send TERM Signal
 *mainMenu*backarrow key*Label:  Backarrow Key (BS/DEL)
 *mainMenu*print-on-error*Label: Print-All on Error
 *mainMenu*hpFunctionKeys*Label: HP Function-Keys
 *mainMenu*kill*Label:   Send KILL Signal
 *mainMenu*num-lock*Label:       Alt/NumLock Modifiers
 *mainMenu*toolbar*Label:        Toolbar
 *mainMenu*print*Label:  Print Window
 *mainMenu*scoFunctionKeys*Label:        SCO Function-Keys
 *mainMenu*quit*Label:   Quit
 *mainMenu*alt-esc*Label:        Alt Sends Escape
 *mainMenu*print-redir*Label:    Redirect to Printer
 *mainMenu*fullscreen*Label:     Full Screen
 *mainMenu*tcapFunctionKeys*Label:       Termcap Function-Keys
 *mainMenu*meta-esc*Label:       Meta Sends Escape
 *mainMenu*dump-html*Label:      XHTML Screen Dump
 *mainMenu*securekbd*Label:      Secure Keyboard
 *mainMenu*suspend*Label:        Send STOP Signal
 *mainMenu*dump-svg*Label:       SVG Screen Dump
 *mainMenu*allowsends*Label:     Allow SendEvents
 *mainMenu*delete-is-del*Label:  Delete is DEL
 *mainMenu*continue*Label:       Send CONT Signal
 *mainMenu.Label:        Main Options
 *tek4014*fontLarge:     9x15
 *tek4014*font2: 8x13
 *tek4014*font3: 6x13
 *tek4014*fontSmall:     6x10
 *SimpleMenu*menuLabel.font:     -adobe-helvetica-bold-r-normal--*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-*
 *SimpleMenu*menuLabel.vertSpace:        100
 *SimpleMenu*Sme.height: 16
 *SimpleMenu*BackingStore:       NotUseful
 *SimpleMenu*HorizontalMargins:  16
 *SimpleMenu*Cursor:     left_ptr
 *SimpleMenu*borderWidth:        2
 *fontMenu*allow-bold-fonts*Label:       Bold Fonts
 *fontMenu*font2*Label:  Tiny
 *fontMenu*utf8-title*Label:     UTF-8 Titles
 *fontMenu*font-linedrawing*Label:       Line-Drawing Characters
 *fontMenu*font3*Label:  Small
 *fontMenu*allow-color-ops*Label:        Allow Color Ops
 *fontMenu*font-doublesize*Label:        Doublesized Characters
 *fontMenu*font4*Label:  Medium
 *fontMenu*allow-font-ops*Label: Allow Font Ops
 *fontMenu*font-loadable*Label:  VT220 Soft Fonts
 *fontMenu*font5*Label:  Large
 *fontMenu*allow-mouse-ops*Label:        Allow Mouse Ops
 *fontMenu*font-packed*Label:    Packed Font
 *fontMenu*fontdefault*Label:    Default
 *fontMenu*font6*Label:  Huge
 *fontMenu*allow-tcap-ops*Label: Allow Termcap Ops
 *fontMenu*render-font*Label:    TrueType Fonts
 *fontMenu*font1*Label:  Unreadable
 *fontMenu*font7*Label:  Enormous
 *fontMenu*allow-title-ops*Label:        Allow Title Ops
 *fontMenu*utf8-mode*Label:      UTF-8 Encoding
 *fontMenu*fontescape*Label:     Escape Sequence
 *fontMenu*allow-window-ops*Label:       Allow Window Ops
 *fontMenu*fontsel*Label:        Selection
 *fontMenu*utf8-fonts*Label:     UTF-8 Fonts
 *fontMenu.Label:        VT Fonts
 *vtMenu*keepSelection*Label:    Keep Selection
 *vtMenu*autowrap*Label: Enable Auto Wraparound
 *vtMenu*titeInhibit*Label:      Enable Alternate Screen Switching
 *vtMenu*altscreen*Label:        Show Alternate Screen
 *vtMenu*keepClipboard*Label:    Keep Clipboard
 *vtMenu*reversewrap*Label:      Enable Reverse Wraparound
 *vtMenu*activeicon*Label:       Enable Active Icon
 *vtMenu*sixelScrolling*Label:   Sixel Scrolling
 *vtMenu*selectToClipboard*Label:        Select to Clipboard
 *vtMenu*autolinefeed*Label:     Enable Auto Linefeed
 *vtMenu*softreset*Label:        Do Soft Reset
 *vtMenu*privateColorRegisters*Label:    Private Color Registers
 *vtMenu*cursesemul*Label:       Enable Curses Emulation
 *vtMenu*scrollbar*Label:        Enable Scrollbar
 *vtMenu*appcursor*Label:        Enable Application Cursor Keys
 *vtMenu*hardreset*Label:        Do Full Reset
 *vtMenu*visualbell*Label:       Enable Visual Bell
 *vtMenu*appkeypad*Label:        Enable Application Keypad
 *vtMenu*clearsavedlines*Label:  Reset and Clear Saved Lines
 *vtMenu*bellIsUrgent*Label:     Enable Bell Urgency
 *vtMenu*scrollkey*Label:        Scroll to Bottom on Key Press
 *vtMenu*tekshow*Label:  Show Tek Window
 *vtMenu*scrollttyoutput*Label:  Scroll to Bottom on Tty Output
 *vtMenu*jumpscroll*Label:       Enable Jump Scroll
 *vtMenu*poponbell*Label:        Enable Pop on Bell
 *vtMenu*tekmode*Label:  Switch to Tek Mode
 *vtMenu*allow132*Label: Allow 80/132 Column Switching
 *vtMenu*reversevideo*Label:     Enable Reverse Video
 *vtMenu*cursorblink*Label:      Enable Blinking Cursor
 *vtMenu*vthide*Label:   Hide VT Window
 *vtMenu.Label:  VT Options
 *form.Thickness:        0
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font4: -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--13-120-75-75-c-80-iso10646-1
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font2: -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--8-80-75-75-c-50-iso10646-1
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font6: -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--20-200-75-75-c-100-iso10646-1
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font5: -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--18-120-100-100-c-90-iso10646-1
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font3: -misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--14-130-75-75-c-70-iso10646-1
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font:  -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-120-75-75-c-60-iso10646-1
 *VT100.utf8Fonts.font7: -adobe-courier-medium-r-normal--24-240-75-75-m-150-iso10646-1
 *VT100.font4:   7x13
 *VT100.font2:   5x7
 *VT100.font6:   10x20
 *VT100.font5:   9x15
 *VT100.font3:   6x10
 *VT100.font1:   nil2
 *VT100.font7:   -adobe-courier-medium-r-normal--24-240-75-75-m-150-iso10646-1
 XTerm*scrollbar*thickness:      7
 XTerm*scrollKey:        true
 XTerm*ptyInitialErase:  true
 XTerm*backarrowKey:     true
 XTerm*background:       bisque
 XTerm*visualBell:       true
 XTerm*multiScroll:      true
 XTerm*ttyModes: erase ^?
 XTerm*foreground:       black
 XTerm*cursorColor:      violet red
 XTerm*ScrollBar:        true
 XTerm*saveLines:        1000
 XTerm*numLock:  false
 XTerm*scrollInput:      false
 XTerm*deleteIsDEL:      true
 XTerm*backarrowKeyIsErase:      true
 *saveLines:     1024
 *IconFont:      nil2
 *allowWindowOps:        false
 *pointerMode:   0
 $ 
 
 > When I try running `LC_CTYPE=C xterm' vs `LC_CTYPE=C.UTF-8
 > xterm', on netbsd-9 and netbsd-10 userlands, I am able to
 > reproduce exactly what you described: with LC_CTYPE=C, xterm
 > shows a-with-circumflex; with LC_CTYPE=C.UTF-8, xterm shows
 > vertical bar.
 
 If I start xterm on netbsd-9 and netbsd-10 without any LANG or
 LC_CTYPE in the environment, bring up the font menu and select
 "UTF-8 Encoding", I get line drawing characters for the UTF-8
 sequences for those characters in that xterm.
 
 If I do the same on netbsd-11, I do not.  Evidently with that
 version, xterm *must* be started in an environment / locale setting
 which includes UTF-8 for that to work, and in that case the font
 menu entries related to UTF-8 are greyed out in the newly started
 xterm.
 
 So ... in the new xterm version, the dynamic choice of "UTF-8
 Encoding" no longer appears to be possible.
 
 So ... in a sense I now have a workaround.
 
 Regards,
 
 - Havard