🚀 go-pugleaf

In checking out the dial-in procedure through a ZyXel modem, I get
the following warning just after I log in:

    Warning: incomplete termcap entry.  Editing disabled. 

The termcap found in /etc was 166290 bytes and from Aug 13, 1991 (this
is a fairly new NeXTStation answering the phone).  The problem does
not go aware if I replace the termcap from the one in my older cube
(166338 bytes, Nov 2, 1989).  I haven't had the courage to try using
the termcap from a nearby Sun, yet.

Related perhaps is that, because of the "editing disabled" message,
I checked 'echo $TERM' and found it to return "unknown".  In fact, 
emacs would not load until I did BOTH 'setenv TERM vt100' and 
'unsetenv TERMCAP', at least with my initial .login file.  When
substituting a .login file which has a line

   setenv TERM `tset - -m ':?vt100' -Q`

I end up with the peculiar situation, when logging in, of still getting 
the "incomplete termcap" warning BUT with 'echo $TERM' => "vt100" and 
emacs being able to load just fine!  (I hit the <cr> on login in response 
to the prompt.)

Does anyone know what's going on here?  I'm baffled.

   Dick Silbar