NAME
ibm_hosts - host database for x3270 and c3270
SYNOPSIS
/usr/lib/X11/x3270/ibm_hosts
DESCRIPTION
The ibm_hosts file contains information regarding IBM hosts on the
network. An IBM host is a host which can communicate with a 3270
terminal emulator such as x3270 or c3270. Each line defines a name in
the following format (optional fields are shown in brackets):
name type [opt:]...[luname@]hostname[:port] [actions]
Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or TAB characters. A
line beginning with # is taken as a comment (note that # anywhere else
on a line does not indicate a comment).
The name field is a mnemonic used to identify the host.
The type field is a keyword that indicates the type of entry. The
value primary means that the name will be included in host-selection
menus that may be displayed by a 3270 emulator. The value alias means
that the name will not be included in menus, but will still be accepted
as valid input when a host name is required.
The hostname field is the Internet hostname or dot-notation Internet
address of the host.
The hostname can include ‘s:’ or ‘p:’ prefixes, e.g., s:finicky (see
the x3270(1) or c3270(1) man page sfor details). It can also include
an LU name, separated by an ‘@’ character, e.g., oddlu@bluehost.
Finally, it can include a non-default port number, appended to the
hostname with a colon ‘:’ character, e.g., bluehost:97. (For
compatability with earlier versions of x3270, the port can also be
separated by a slash ‘/’ character.)
The optional actions field specifies actions to be taken once the
connection is made and a data-entry field is defined. If the text
looks like an action, e.g., PF(1), it is unmodified; otherwise it is
taken as the parameter to the String() action. The actions are not
intended for entering usernames and passwords; rather they provide an
automated way of specifying a front-end menu option.
EXAMPLE
Given the following ibm_hosts file:
mvs primary mvs-host
tso alias mvs-host
mvs2 primary mvs-host:4012
vm primary vtam Tab() String(3) Enter()
A 3270 emulator will display four names (mvs, mvs2, afhost and vm) on
its hosts menu. The names mvs and tso will cause connections to the
host mvs-host. The name mvs2 will also cause a connection to mvs-host,
but to port 4012 rather than the emulator’s default port (usually 23).
The name vm will cause the 3270 emulator to connect to the host vtam
(presumably some sort of host-selection front-end), enter the string
‘3’ on the second data-entry field on the screen, and send the Enter
AID sequence.
FILES
/usr/lib/X11/x3270/ibm_hosts
SEE ALSO
x3270(1), c3270(1)
02 October 2009