ERL-162: "erl -remsh" malfunctions when TERM is set to "dumb"

[OTP-Maintainer]

Original reporter: pho
Affected version: OTP-18.2.1
Component: erts
Migrated from: https://bugs.erlang.org/browse/ERL-162

---

{{erl -remsh}} malfunctions when {{TERM}} is set to {{dumb}}. When this happens the Erlang shell won't start in the context of the remote node but instead it runs on the local node.

{noformat}
% erl -name '[email protected]'
Erlang/OTP 18 [erts-7.2.1] [source] [64-bit] [smp:2:2] [async-threads:10] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false]

Eshell V7.2.1  (abort with ^G)
([email protected])1> 
{noformat}
 
In another terminal:
{noformat}
% erl -name '[email protected]' -remsh '[email protected]'
Erlang/OTP 18 [erts-7.2.1] [source] [64-bit] [smp:2:2] [async-threads:10] [hipe]
 [kernel-poll:false]

Eshell V7.2.1  (abort with ^G)
([email protected])1>
BREAK: (a)bort (c)ontinue (p)roc info (i)nfo (l)oaded
       (v)ersion (k)ill (D)b-tables (d)istribution
% TERM=dumb erl -name '[email protected]' -remsh '[email protected]'
Eshell V7.2.1  (abort with ^G)
([email protected])1>
BREAK: (a)bort (c)ontinue (p)roc info (i)nfo (l)oaded
       (v)ersion (k)ill (D)b-tables (d)istribution
%
{noformat}

[OTP-Maintainer]

egil said:

The shell expects that user input can be read from arrow keys, i.e. new-shell (ttysl driver), otherwise a "dumb" user is started which will not handle remote shell.

This is not a bug per-se but a feature request.

[OTP-Maintainer]

maxlapshin said:

Problem is not in the bad shell. Problem is that if TERM is not good, then remsh does not connect and remains on local shell.

So one needs to be very careful with looking at nodename. 

[OTP-Maintainer]

maxlapshin said:

More details about how to compile ncurses if you want to have it everywhere and working.

 

NOT WORKING  (remote shell will not work if you compile libtinfo with such options):

 

CPPFLAGS="-P" ./configure --prefix=/root/ --without-ada --without-cxx
--without-cxx-binding --without-manpages --without-progs --without-tests
--disable-db-install --without-curses-h --without-static --with-shared --without-debug
--enable-overwrite --with-termlib

 

WORKING:

 

CPPFLAGS="-P" ./configure --prefix=/root/ --without-ada --without-cxx
--without-cxx-binding --without-manpages --without-progs --without-tests
--disable-db-install --without-curses-h --without-static --with-shared --without-debug
--disable-termcap --with-default-terminfo-dir=/etc/terminfo
--with-terminfo-dirs="/etc/terminfo:/lib/terminfo:/usr/share/terminfo" --with-ticlib=tic
--with-termlib=tinfo
--enable-overwrite

[garazdawi]

Fixed in #6279