3

I have problem with my console drawing lines. The problem is when I connect through ssh to server everything draws ok. But when I use up arrow key to show last used commands it often leaves few characters after $ sign:

user@host:~$ cd /var/www_vhosts/
user@host:/var/www_vhosts$ ls -la instalator-paczek/
razem 16
drwxrwxr-x  3 root        root       4096 02-20 10:48 .
drwxr-xr-x 13 root        root       4096 05-17 11:11 ..
-rwxrw-r--  1 root        developers 3380 05-29 11:03 instalator-paczek.sh
drwxrwxr-x  2 user developers 4096 05-29 11:03 logi
user@host:/var/www_vhosts$ cd instalator-paczek/
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ nano instalator-paczek.sh 
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ cp -r inst
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ nano /etc/issue
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ uname
Linux
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ uname -a
Linux host 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Sun Sep 23 10:07:46 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ cat /etc/issue
Debian GNU/Linux 6.0 \n \l
# here I use up arrow key to display last used commands and everything is ok until it show last: "cp -r in..." command
# "cp -r inst" is shown and next last used commands are shown after those 10 characters. I displays them like:
# $ cp -r instls -la
# $ cp -r instcd directory 
# etc.
# I tried using backspace but it clear characters just until "cp -r inst", not even one more
# prompt is shown correctly only after i press enter or ^C
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ cp -r instnano /etc/issue 
user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ ls
instalator-paczek.sh  logi

What is even more irritating is what happens when I type more characters than console width. Cursor somehow goes back to the beginning of line and overwrites prompt:

/d/asd/as/d/asd/asd/as/d/asd/asdww_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ ls -la asdkasdasdasd/asdasdasd/asdasdasdasdasdas/dasdsdaas/d/asd/as/d/asd/as

I can't use any long commands because it overwrites beginning and I can't see if I typed everything correctly. Long command when pasted inside console works even if display is corrupted. It's like only display is corrupted but command itself is ok.

I have ubuntu 12.10 and use Konsole as console application. On server there is Debian GNU Linux 6.0 and xterm.

user@host:/var/www_vhosts/instalator-paczek$ echo $TERM
xterm

It only happens with this server other servers I connect works good with Konsole.

How to fix this?

EDIT

Is this possible that those errors are occurring because there is no xterm installed on server and there is no resize command?

user@host:~$ stty -a
speed 38400 baud; rows 57; columns 151; line = 0;
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^?; kill = ^U; eof = ^D; eol = <undef>; eol2 = <undef>; swtch = <undef>; start = ^Q; stop = ^S; susp = ^Z; rprnt = ^R;
werase = ^W; lnext = ^V; flush = ^O; min = 1; time = 0;
-parenb -parodd cs8 -hupcl -cstopb cread -clocal -crtscts
-ignbrk -brkint -ignpar -parmrk -inpck -istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl ixon ixoff -iuclc -ixany -imaxbel -iutf8
opost -olcuc -ocrnl onlcr -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel nl0 cr0 tab0 bs0 vt0 ff0
isig icanon iexten echo echoe echok -echonl -noflsh -xcase -tostop -echoprt echoctl echoke
user@host:~$ stty -a
speed 38400 baud; rows 57; columns 172; line = 0;
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^?; kill = ^U; eof = ^D; eol = <undef>; eol2 = <undef>; swtch = <undef>; start = ^Q; stop = ^S; susp = ^Z; rprnt = ^R; werase = ^W; lnext = ^V;
flush = ^O; min = 1; time = 0;
-parenb -parodd cs8 -hupcl -cstopb cread -clocal -crtscts
-ignbrk -brkint -ignpar -parmrk -inpck -istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl ixon ixoff -iuclc -ixany -imaxbel -iutf8
opost -olcuc -ocrnl onlcr -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel nl0 cr0 tab0 bs0 vt0 ff0
isig icanon iexten echo echoe echok -echonl -noflsh -xcase -tostop -echoprt echoctl echoke

It seems like resizing console window also changes stty.

EDIT2

I've installed xterm package on server. I've logged out and log in again but problem is still the same. Should I restart server after installing xterm or something?

EDIT3

Solution here

Improve this question
7
  • although I am not sure, when you connect by ssh what kind of terminal do you have? I'm using TERM=xterm when connecting by ssh and I don't see that problem Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 8:55
  • @AlexandreAlves I'm also using xterm. I updated my question Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 9:13
  • What distro is the server you're remoting into? Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 14:40
  • @slm it's Debian GNU Linux 6.0, I've updated my question. Please see my edit. Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 14:41
  • @slm I know but I'm not sysadmin on server so I would prefer not to install xterm if possible because it also wants install some drivers like: libdrm-intel1 libdrm-radeon1 libdrm2 libgl1-mesa-dri libgl1-mesa-glx libice6 libsm6 libutempter0 libxaw7 libxcb-atom1 libxdamage1 libxfixes3 libxi6 libxinerama1 libxmu6 libxpm4 libxt6 libxtst6 libxv1 libxxf86dga1 libxxf86vm1 x11-utils xbitmaps. Is there other way? Maybe use something that is already installed, other than xterm. I also saw that resizing console windows also changes stty settings correctly. See my edit. Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 14:51

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
4

After connecting to the remote server I would try running the command resize. This will set the terminal settings the the current window size.

Additionally you can use the command reset, if your terminal appears to be left in an abnormal state. This will revert your terminal to a known good state.

You can read up on both these commands in their man pages.

resize command missing

The resize command is part of the xterm package so if this isn't installed then this command won't be available.

Additional things to try

If neither of the above commands work or are available you many be able to reset your stty terminal by using the command stty sane.

Improve this answer
2
  • There is no resize command on server. Reset is also not working :( Commented Jun 3, 2013 at 9:15
  • I've installed xterm on server logged out and log in again but problem is the same. Do I need to restart server to make xterm working? Commented Jun 4, 2013 at 7:13
0

OK finally I found solution. The problem was that $PS1 didn't have color sequences enclosed with \[ and \]. Before correcting $PS1 was:

export PS1='\e[1;32m\u@\h:\w$ \e[m'

after fix:

export PS1='\[\e[1;32m\]\u@\h:\w$ \[\e[m\]'

I found solution here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2024884/commandline-overwrites-itself-when-the-commands-get-to-long

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.