captoinfo

Convert a termcap file to terminfo format

$ captoinfo [path/to/termcap_file]

$ captoinfo [path/to/termcap_file] | tic

$ captoinfo -v [path/to/termcap_file]

$ captoinfo -1 [path/to/termcap_file]

$ captoinfo -x [path/to/termcap_file]

$ captoinfo -V

captoinfo [-vn] [-V] [-1] [-w width] [-x] [file...]

captoinfo converts termcap terminal capability descriptions into the terminfo format. For each termcap entry found in the input file, an equivalent terminfo description is written to standard output.
If no files are specified, captoinfo reads from the file named in the TERMCAP environment variable and extracts only the entry for the terminal named in TERM. If TERMCAP is not set, it reads from /etc/termcap by default.
The utility is implemented as a link to tic(1) with the -I option implied. Other tic options like -1, -f, -v, -w, and -x can be used.

-vn

Print verbose comments and debugging information to standard error. Higher values increase verbosity.

Display the version number of the ncurses library and exit.

Output fields one per line instead of wrapping multiple fields to a maximum width of 60 characters.

Set the maximum output width for wrapped fields.

Enable parsing and emission of extended terminfo capabilities for modern terminal features.

Some termcap capabilities may not have direct terminfo equivalents. Complex or non-standard termcap entries may require manual adjustment after conversion. The output is terminfo source format and must be compiled with tic to be used by applications.

The termcap database was the original mechanism for terminal descriptions in Unix, widely used in the 1970s and early 1980s. Its limitations (fixed-size buffer, lack of strong typing) led to terminfo development in the mid-1980s. captoinfo was created as part of the ncurses project to facilitate migration from termcap to terminfo, allowing administrators to convert existing terminal definitions rather than rewriting them from scratch.

tic(1), infocmp(1), infotocap(1), tput(1)