Creating a new configuration is quick and easy in TinyTERM. When you first open the application, it automatically connects to the local shell. (You can disconnect at this point, or you can leave the connection open.) To create a new connection configuration, go to the TinyTERM menu and select Preferences, or type ⌘, (command-comma) to open the Connection Settings dialog.

Select one of the existing configurations, or click the + button to add a new connection. Change the Configuration Name as desired.

If you want this configuration to be used automatically on opening TinyTERM, click the Set As Default button. This will move the configuration name to the top of the list, and label it with the (Default) tag.

At this point you'll need your connection specifics. At a minimum, you need to specify a Local, Telnet, or SSH connection. Note that Local connections are only available when TinyTERM for Mac is downloaded from Century Software.

If you've selected TN3270 or TN5250 as the emulation type, instead of the dialog above, you'll see the one at right. This offers Telnet, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS as connection types.

For connections other than local, you'll also need the Hostname or IP address of the server. If you're using the SSH protocol, you need the Username, and you may also need to check the Use public key for SSH box.

The default Port is determined by the Protocol: 22 for SSH, 23 for other protocols. On some systems, these do not use default values as an added security measure. In that case, you'll need to enter the correct Port as well. And if you are connecting via SSH, you'll also need to enter a Username and configure the SSH settings.

Setting the Close on Disconnect check box will cause the current TinyTERM tab to close when the session is disconnected. This normally happens at logout, or when you select Disconnect from the Connection menu. If only one tab is open in the TinyTERM window, the window will close also.

Turning on the Prevent Disconnect While Logged In setting will prevent the user from being able to disconnect or close the session, so long as the current connection is active. The host must disconnect the session before TinyTERM can be closed. This happens automatically after logging out.

After entering the connection information, go to the Emulation tab.

Select the terminal Emulation your host application requires. If you select TN3270 or TN5250, alternate emulations options become available.

If the host system supports automatic adjustment of the lines and columns on when you resize the emulator window, check the Extend lines/columns when resizing box and select a preferred Font Size. Otherwise, make sure that box is not checked, and set the Lines and Columns to match the host application requirements.

TN3270 emulation allows the option to Enable Extended Attributes. Check this box if your host requires it.

The optional Terminal Type String causes TinyTERM for Mac to report a terminal type other than the one selected. More information on that is in our Knowledge Base.

TN3270 and TN5250 allow setting the LU Name. Enter the logical unit name required by your mainframe here.

The default Code Page works for most English-language hosts. For more information on code pages, please refer to our white paper.

The On-Screen Keyboard is hidden by default. Checking the Show box will put it at the bottom of the TinyTERM window. Several options are available for different terminal types.

The on-screen keyboard is also fully customizable. If none of the included layouts meets your needs, you can edit them or add new ones.

Decode UTF-8 enables and disables UTF-8 interpretation of data. It's required for virtually all Linux hosts, and is used by most modern UNIX flavors as well. If there's a problem with graphics display on some screens, test changing this setting first.

The Backspace Sends DEL switch determines the action of the ⌫ key. In the OFF position, the key sends a backspace (ASCII 8). The ON position causes it to send DEL (ASCII 127) instead.

Ignore graphics parity bit causes TinyTERM to ignore the high bit in eight-bit communications. Some older systems require this for correct display.

Clear screen to scrollback buffer changes the way TinyTERM writes data to its scrollback buffer. With this option turned on, every time the screen is updated or cleared as a whole, the screen first gets saved for scrollback. This allows you to scroll through complete data from screen-oriented applications.

With Clear screen to scrollback buffer turned off, TinyTERM saves data as it scrolls off the top of the screen, such as in a directory listing. Applications that update the entire screen aren't saved unless the data scrolls off the screen line by line.

Default cursor type sets the standard display style for the cursor. Some terminal emulation types allow the host system to override this.

The Attributes tab has optional color setttings. They are fairly self-explanatory. Changes made here take effect for anything displayed in the window after clicking Apply, but do not change any text already displayed.

Printing and SSH settings are documented in their own pages.

Saving the Configuration

When finished, click the Apply button to return to the TinyTERM window. Or click the Connect button to connect immediately. This will end the current connection, switching to the new configuration.

In either case, the configuration is automatically saved in TinyTERM's list. You can use it at any time by selecting the configuration name and clicking the Connect button.