config.but

putty

sort of response.

\dt \q{Empty string}

\dd PuTTY makes a well-formed response, but leaves it blank. Thus,
server-side software that expects a response is kept happy, but an
attacker cannot influence the response string. This is probably the
setting you want if you have no better ideas.

\dt \q{Window title}

\dd PuTTY responds with the actual window title. This is dangerous for
the reasons described above.

\S{config-features-dbackspace} Disabling \i{destructive backspace}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.dbackspace}

Normally, when PuTTY receives character 127 (^?) from the server, it
will perform a \q{destructive backspace}: move the cursor one space
left and delete the character under it. This can apparently cause
problems in some applications, so PuTTY provides the ability to
configure character 127 to perform a normal backspace (without
deleting a character) instead.

\S{config-features-charset} Disabling remote \i{character set}
configuration

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.charset}

PuTTY has the ability to change its character set configuration in
response to commands from the server. Some programs send these
commands unexpectedly or inconveniently. In particular, \I{BitchX} (an
IRC client) seems to have a habit of reconfiguring the character set
to something other than the user intended.

If you find that accented characters are not showing up the way you
expect them to, particularly if you're running BitchX, you could try
disabling the remote character set configuration commands.

\S{config-features-shaping} Disabling \i{Arabic text shaping}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.arabicshaping}

PuTTY supports shaping of Arabic text, which means that if your
server sends text written in the basic \i{Unicode} Arabic alphabet then
it will convert it to the correct display forms before printing it
on the screen.

If you are using full-screen software which was not expecting this
to happen (especially if you are not an Arabic speaker and you
unexpectedly find yourself dealing with Arabic text files in
applications which are not Arabic-aware), you might find that the
\i{display becomes corrupted}. By ticking this box, you can disable
Arabic text shaping so that PuTTY displays precisely the characters
it is told to display.

You may also find you need to disable bidirectional text display;
see \k{config-features-bidi}.

\S{config-features-bidi} Disabling \i{bidirectional text} display

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.bidi}

PuTTY supports bidirectional text display, which means that if your
server sends text written in a language which is usually displayed
from right to left (such as \i{Arabic} or \i{Hebrew}) then PuTTY will
automatically flip it round so that it is displayed in the right
direction on the screen.

If you are using full-screen software which was not expecting this
to happen (especially if you are not an Arabic speaker and you
unexpectedly find yourself dealing with Arabic text files in
applications which are not Arabic-aware), you might find that the
\i{display becomes corrupted}. By ticking this box, you can disable
bidirectional text display, so that PuTTY displays text from left to
right in all situations.

You may also find you need to disable Arabic text shaping;
see \k{config-features-shaping}.

\H{config-window} The Window panel

The Window configuration panel allows you to control aspects of the
\i{PuTTY window}.

\S{config-winsize} Setting the \I{window size}size of the PuTTY window

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.size}

The \q{\ii{Columns}} and \q{\ii{Rows}} boxes let you set the PuTTY
window to a precise size. Of course you can also \I{window resizing}drag
the window to a new size while a session is running.

\S{config-winsizelock} What to do when the window is resized

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.resize}

These options allow you to control what happens when the user tries
to \I{window resizing}resize the PuTTY window using its window furniture.

There are four options here:

\b \q{Change the number of rows and columns}: the font size will not
change. (This is the default.)

\b \q{Change the size of the font}: the number of rows and columns in
the terminal will stay the same, and the \i{font size} will change.

\b \q{Change font size when maximised}: when the window is resized,
the number of rows and columns will change, \e{except} when the window
is \i{maximise}d (or restored), when the font size will change.

\b \q{Forbid resizing completely}: the terminal will refuse to be
resized at all.

\S{config-scrollback} Controlling \i{scrollback}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.scrollback}

These options let you configure the way PuTTY keeps text after it
scrolls off the top of the screen (see \k{using-scrollback}).

The \q{Lines of scrollback} box lets you configure how many lines of
text PuTTY keeps. The \q{Display scrollbar} options allow you to
hide the \i{scrollbar} (although you can still view the scrollback using
the keyboard as described in \k{using-scrollback}). You can separately
configure whether the scrollbar is shown in \i{full-screen} mode and in
normal modes.

If you are viewing part of the scrollback when the server sends more
text to PuTTY, the screen will revert to showing the current
terminal contents. You can disable this behaviour by turning off
\q{Reset scrollback on display activity}. You can also make the
screen revert when you press a key, by turning on \q{Reset
scrollback on keypress}.

\S{config-erasetoscrollback} \q{Push erased text into scrollback}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.erased}

When this option is enabled, the contents of the terminal screen
will be pushed into the scrollback when a server-side application
clears the screen, so that your scrollback will contain a better
record of what was on your screen in the past.

If the application switches to the \i{alternate screen} (see
\k{config-features-altscreen} for more about this), then the
contents of the primary screen will be visible in the scrollback
until the application switches back again.

This option is enabled by default.

\H{config-appearance} The Appearance panel

The Appearance configuration panel allows you to control aspects of
the appearance of \I{PuTTY window}PuTTY's window.

\S{config-cursor} Controlling the appearance of the \i{cursor}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.cursor}

The \q{Cursor appearance} option lets you configure the cursor to be
a block, an underline, or a vertical line. A block cursor becomes an
empty box when the window loses focus; an underline or a vertical
line becomes dotted.

The \q{\ii{Cursor blinks}} option makes the cursor blink on and off. This
works in any of the cursor modes.

\S{config-font} Controlling the \i{font} used in the terminal window

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.font}

This option allows you to choose what font, in what \I{font size}size,
the PuTTY terminal window uses to display the text in the session. You
will be offered a choice from all the fixed-width fonts installed on the
system. (VT100-style terminal handling can only deal with fixed-width
fonts.)

\S{config-mouseptr} \q{Hide \i{mouse pointer} when typing in window}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.hidemouse}

If you enable this option, the mouse pointer will disappear if the
PuTTY window is selected and you press a key. This way, it will not
obscure any of the text in the window while you work in your
session. As soon as you move the mouse, the pointer will reappear.

This option is disabled by default, so the mouse pointer remains
visible at all times.

\S{config-winborder} Controlling the \i{window border}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.border}

PuTTY allows you to configure the appearance of the window border to
some extent.

The checkbox marked \q{Sunken-edge border} changes the appearance of
the window border to something more like a DOS box: the inside edge
of the border is highlighted as if it sank down to meet the surface
inside the window. This makes the border a little bit thicker as
well. It's hard to describe well. Try it and see if you like it.

You can also configure a completely blank gap between the text in
the window and the border, using the \q{Gap between text and window
edge} control. By default this is set at one pixel. You can reduce
it to zero, or increase it further.

\H{config-behaviour} The Behaviour panel

The Behaviour configuration panel allows you to control aspects of
the behaviour of \I{PuTTY window}PuTTY's window.

\S{config-title} Controlling the \i{window title}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.title}

The \q{Window title} edit box allows you to set the title of the
PuTTY window. By default the window title will contain the \i{host name}
followed by \q{PuTTY}, for example \c{server1.example.com - PuTTY}.
If you want a different window title, this is where to set it.

PuTTY allows the server to send \c{xterm} \i{control sequence}s which
modify the title of the window in mid-session (unless this is disabled -
see \k{config-features-retitle}); the title string set here
is therefore only the \e{initial} window title.

As well as the \e{window} title, there is also an \c{xterm}
sequence to modify the \I{icon title}title of the window's \e{icon}.
This makes sense in a windowing system where the window becomes an
icon when minimised, such as Windows 3.1 or most X Window System
setups; but in the Windows 95-like user interface it isn't as
applicable.

By default, PuTTY only uses the server-supplied \e{window} title, and
ignores the icon title entirely. If for some reason you want to see
both titles, check the box marked \q{Separate window and icon titles}.
If you do this, PuTTY's window title and Taskbar \I{window caption}caption will
change into the server-supplied icon title if you \i{minimise} the PuTTY
window, and change back to the server-supplied window title if you
restore it. (If the server has not bothered to supply a window or
icon title, none of this will happen.)

\S{config-warnonclose} \q{Warn before \i{closing window}}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.closewarn}

If you press the \i{Close button} in a PuTTY window that contains a
running session, PuTTY will put up a warning window asking if you
really meant to close the window. A window whose session has already
terminated can always be closed without a warning.

If you want to be able to close a window quickly, you can disable
the \q{Warn before closing window} option.

\S{config-altf4} \q{Window closes on \i{ALT-F4}}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altf4}

By default, pressing ALT-F4 causes the \I{closing window}window to
close (or a warning box to appear; see \k{config-warnonclose}). If you
disable the \q{Window closes on ALT-F4} option, then pressing ALT-F4
will simply send a key sequence to the server.

\S{config-altspace} \q{\ii{System menu} appears on \i{ALT-Space}}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altspace}

If this option is enabled, then pressing ALT-Space will bring up the
PuTTY window's menu, like clicking on the top left corner. If it is
disabled, then pressing ALT-Space will just send \c{ESC SPACE} to
the server.

Some \i{accessibility} programs for Windows may need this option
enabling to be able to control PuTTY's window successfully. For
instance, \i{Dragon NaturallySpeaking} requires it both to open the
system menu via voice, and to close, minimise, maximise and restore
the window.

\S{config-altonly} \q{\ii{System menu} appears on \i{Alt} alone}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altonly}

If this option is enabled, then pressing and releasing ALT will
bring up the PuTTY window's menu, like clicking on the top left
corner. If it is disabled, then pressing and releasing ALT will have
no effect.

\S{config-alwaysontop} \q{Ensure window is \i{always on top}}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.alwaysontop}

If this option is enabled, the PuTTY window will stay on top of all
other windows.

\S{config-fullscreen} \q{\ii{Full screen} on Alt-Enter}

\cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altenter}

If this option is enabled, then pressing Alt-Enter will cause the
PuTTY window to become full-screen. Pressing Alt-Enter again will
restore the previous window size.