diff --git a/term.py b/term.py
index 51b4bd4..ab5a7ba 100755
--- a/term.py
+++ b/term.py
@@ -1,51 +1,49 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
-#
-# ./term.py term.rom /bin/bash
+#/usr/bin/env python
 
-from select import select
-from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, STDOUT
+import fcntl
+import os
+import pty
 import sys
-
-# currently unbuffered
-#
-# TODO: figure out a more reasonable buffering strategy
-def run(args):
-    return Popen(args, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT, bufsize=0)
+import struct
+import termios
 
 def main():
+
+    # check usage
     args = sys.argv[1:]
-    if len(args) < 2:
-        print('usage: %s ROM SHELL [ ARGS... ]')
+    if len(args) < 1:
+        print('usage: %s ROM')
         print('')
-        print('execute the given uxn terminal program (ROM)')
-        print('and start a shell process (SHELL + ARGS).')
-        print('')
-        print('example: %s term.rom /bin/bash -i' % sys.argv[0])
+        print('  ROM: the rom file to launch')
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    term = run(['uxnemu', args[0]])
-    term_out = term.stdout.fileno()
+    # path to rom to run
+    rom = args[0]
 
-    shell = run(args[1:])
-    shell_out = shell.stdout.fileno()
-
-    while shell.poll() is None and term.poll() is None:
-        # wait 100ms to see if anything is ready to write
-        ns, _, _ = select([term_out, shell_out], [], [], 0.1)
-        for n in ns:
-            if n == term_out:
-                shell.stdin.write(term.stdout.read(1))
-                shell.stdin.flush()
-            elif n == shell_out:
-                term.stdin.write(shell.stdout.read(1))
-                term.stdin.flush()
-            else:
-                raise Exception('unexpected fileno: %d (expected %d or %d)' % (n, term_out, shell_out))
+    # fork with a new pty
+    pid, fd = pty.fork()
     
-    if shell.poll() is None:
-        shell.kill()
-    if term.poll() is None:
-        term.kill()
+    if pid == 0:
+        # set TERM to something we can handle
+        env = dict(os.environ)
+        env['TERM'] = 'dumb'
+        os.execvpe('bash', ['bash', '--noediting', '-i'], env)
+    else:
+        # set the terminal size
+        #cols, rows = 63, 32
+        cols, rows = 79, 40
+        size = struct.pack("HHHH", rows, cols, 8, 8)
+        fcntl.ioctl(fd, termios.TIOCSWINSZ, size)
 
+        # disable terminal echo
+        attr = termios.tcgetattr(fd)
+        attr[3] = attr[3] & ~termios.ECHO
+        termios.tcsetattr(fd, termios.TCSADRAIN, attr)
+
+        # use fd for the terminals stdin/stdout
+        os.dup2(fd, sys.stdin.fileno())
+        os.dup2(os.dup(fd), sys.stdout.fileno())
+        os.execvp('uxnemu', ['uxnemu', rom])
+    
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/term.tal b/term.tal
index 7946c27..da14ca5 100644
--- a/term.tal
+++ b/term.tal
@@ -18,18 +18,18 @@
     @subinput $1 ( reading from subprocess? )
 
 |0100
-    ( 32 characters = 256 pixels )
-    #0020 .rows STZ2
-    #0040 .cols STZ2
+    ( 80 cols x 24 rows )
+    #0028 .rows STZ2
+    #0050 .cols STZ2
 
     ( set screen height/width based on rows/cols )
     .rows LDZ2 #30 SFT2 .Screen/h DEO2
     .cols LDZ2 #30 SFT2 .Screen/w DEO2
 
     ( set colors )
-    #0ff0 .System/r DEO2
-    #0f88 .System/g DEO2
-    #0f0f .System/b DEO2
+    #0cf0 .System/r DEO2
+    #0c88 .System/g DEO2
+    #0c0f .System/b DEO2
 
     ( set pos, subinput flag )
     .buffer .pos STZ
@@ -99,15 +99,15 @@
     ;draw-tile JMP2
 
 @on-key
-    .Controller/key DEI #00 EQU ,&skip JCN
     #00 .subinput STZ
+    .Controller/key DEI #00 EQU ,&skip JCN
     #41 .tint STZ
     .Controller/key DEI ;read JSR2
     &skip BRK
 
 @on-input
-    .Console/r DEI #00 EQU ,&skip JCN
     #01 .subinput STZ
+    .Console/r DEI #00 EQU ,&skip JCN
     #41 .tint STZ
     .Console/r DEI ;read JSR2
     &skip BRK
@@ -123,11 +123,10 @@
     ;read-normal JMP2
 
 ( TODO: we need line-editing! )
-@read-bel JMP2r
-@read-bs JMP2r ( POP ;scroll JMP2 )
-@read-tab JMP2r ( POP POP2r #0000 DIV )
-@read-esc JMP2r
-@read-del JMP2r
+@read-bel POP JMP2r
+@read-bs POP JMP2r ( POP ;scroll JMP2 )
+@read-esc POP JMP2r
+@read-del POP JMP2r
 
 @write-line ( -> )
     .pos LDZ .buffer
@@ -135,17 +134,33 @@
     &next LDZk .Console/w DEO INC ,&loop JMP
     &done #0a .Console/w DEO .buffer .pos STZ JMP2r
 
+( @read-tab POP JMP2r )
+@read-tab
+    POP
+    .subinput LDZ ,&display JCN
+    #01 #0e DEO JMP2r ( POP POP2r #0000 DIV )
+    &display
+    .cur-x LDZ2 NIP #07 AND #08 SUB
+    &loop
+    #20 DUP ;cursor-addr JSR2 STA
+    ;draw-tile JSR2
+    ;forward JSR2
+    INC DUP ,&loop JCN
+    POP JMP2r
+
 @read-cr ( 0d -> )
+    POP
     .subinput LDZ ,&display JCN
     ;write-line JSR2
     &display
-    POP
     ;hide-cursor JSR2
     #0000 .cur-x STZ2
     ;down JMP2
 
 @read-nl ( 0a -> )
-    ,read-cr JMP
+    POP
+    JMP2r
+(    ,read-cr JMP )
 
 @forward ( -> )
     .cur-x LDZ2 INC2 DUP2 .cols LDZ2 LTH2 ,&ok JCN
@@ -179,7 +194,6 @@
     .subinput LDZ ,&display JCN
     .pos LDZ STZk INC .pos STZ
     &display
-    ;hide-cursor JSR2
     DUP ;cursor-addr JSR2 STA
     ;draw-tile JSR2
     ;forward JMP2
@@ -213,5 +227,6 @@
     ~chr/ascii.tal
 
 ( screen to store characters for redraw, etc. )
-@screen $0800 ( 64 x 32 )
+( @screen $0800 ( 64 x 32 ) )
+@screen $0c80 ( 64 x 32 )
 @end-screen