Adjusting Screen Colors in OSCAR/Felix (VT100)

With the changeover from OCLC’s Passport to OCLC’s Connexion, some folks also have to adjust to accessing OSCAR/Felix using their "Telnet to Oscar (Felix)" icon as opposed to accessing OSCAR/Felix through the Passport software. As a result, some folks are finding OSCAR/Felix’s default screen colors (black background with fairly bright green lettering) objectionable.

Here’s how to adjust these colors.

A couple of notes:

• You should do this with a single session to OSCAR/Felix open. That way, these changes will stick for all OSCAR/Felix sessions from that time onward. If you have multiple sessions open to OSCAR/Felix when you make this change, the change applies only to the session in which the change was made and does not stick.
• these changes are pc specific, and so will impact all users of a particular machine. If multiple users use the pc, please try to find a color palette that is acceptable to all users and adjust the colors accordingly.
• If you whoops and wind up with a display you can’t read, please do NOT walk off and leave it messed up! Please tell your supervisor or me so we can get it straightened out. (I don’t care how good your eyesight it, no one can read black letters on a black background. Yes, that’s happened.)

1.  Launch OSCAR/Felix using your "Telnet to OSCAR (Felix)" icon and go ahead and log in.

2.  Pull up a record so you’ll have something to look at to determine if the colors you’re trying will be OK.

3.  Within the OSCAR/Felix window, click on: Options/Setup/Screen Colors (See image below).

4.  You’ll get this:

Note in above image:

• Various types of Text Attributes;
• Background colors are selected here;
• Sample of what your current color scheme is.

5.  Here comes the "tricky" part:

•  Select the "Text Attribute" you want to change the color for by clicking in the corresponding button. Click "Change Color" and you’ll get this:

  

•  Select the color you want to change to by clicking in the corresponding color block. (By the way, Black is the 2nd to last color block in the bottom row of "basic colors".)

•  Click "OK" in this window and it will close.

6.  Your display will change to use your new color choice. If the result is OK, Click "OK" to close the "Screen Colors" window. If you don’t like the results, repeat the above and select a different color until you get one you can live with. (Depending on your personal preferences, you may also have to repeat this for each of the other "Text Attributes" as well.)

Document last revised 01/15/04 dac

Return to Documentation menu. Page last modified: 8 November 2011

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