Responding to screen messages

Use this procedure to respond to and recover from screen messages.

  1. Make sure the DISPLAY environment variable is set correctly. Use either of the following methods to check the DISPLAY environment:
    • Use the setsenv command to display the environment variables.
      setsenv

      The setsenv command displays the protected state environment when you logged in.

      Determine if the DISPLAY variable has been set. In the following example, the DISPLAY variable does not appear, which indicates that the DISPLAY variable is not set to a specific value.

      SYSENVIRON:
      NAME=casey
      TTY=/dev/pts/5
      LOGNAME=casey
      LOGIN=casey

      OR

    • Change the value of the DISPLAY variable. For example, to set it to the machine named bastet and terminal 0, enter:
      DISPLAY=bastet:0
      export DISPLAY

      If not specifically set, the DISPLAY environment variable defaults to unix:0 (the console). The value of the variable is in the format name:number where name is the host name of a particular machine, and number is the X server number on the named system.

  2. Reset the terminal to its defaults using the following stty command:
    stty sane

    The stty sane command restores the “sanity” of the terminal drivers. The command outputs an appropriate terminal resetting code from the /etc/termcap file (or /usr/share/lib/terminfo if available).

  3. If the Return key does not work correctly, reset it by typing:
    ^J stty sane ^J

    The ^J represents the Ctrl-J key sequence.