diff --git a/buffer/emul.py b/buffer/emul.py
index 2c200f5..76bbeec 100644
--- a/buffer/emul.py
+++ b/buffer/emul.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ from point import Point
 class XTermBuffer(Buffer, XTerm):
     btype    = 'term'
     modename = 'pipe'
+    termtype = 'xterm'
+    #termtype = 'vt100'
     def __init__(self, cmd, args, name=None):
         XTerm.__init__(self)
         Buffer.__init__(self)
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ class XTermBuffer(Buffer, XTerm):
         self._pid, self._pty = pty.fork()
         if self._pid == 0:
             # child process
-            os.execve(cmd, [cmd] + args, {'TERM': 'xterm'})
+            os.execve(cmd, [cmd] + args, {'TERM': self.termtype})
 
         self._lock    = threading.Lock()
         self._towrite = ''
diff --git a/term.py b/term.py
index def53cf..f360df1 100644
--- a/term.py
+++ b/term.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import os, re, string
 from point import Point
 
+# NOTE: i should write a python module to build a statemachine from a terminfo
+# entry. otherwise this project is probably hopeless.
+
 def show(c):
-    if c in string.printable:
+    if c in string.letters + string.digits + string.punctuation:
         return c
     else:
         return '\\%03o' % ord(c)
@@ -79,7 +82,8 @@ class Dumb:
         return self.outs + ''.join(self.outc)
 
 class XTerm(Dumb):
-    name = 'xterm'
+    name     = 'xterm'
+    termtype = 'xterm'
 
     comment_re = re.compile('^ *#')
     header_re  = re.compile('^[a-zA-Z0-9]+\|')
@@ -88,16 +92,27 @@ class XTerm(Dumb):
     num_re  = re.compile('^([a-zA-Z0-9]+)#(.+)$')
     str_re  = re.compile('^([a-zA-Z0-9]+)=(.+)$')
 
-    style_re = re.compile('^\033[[0-9;]+m')
+    style_re       = re.compile('^\033[[0-9;]+m')
+    text_signal_re = re.compile('^\033][0-9]+;.+\007')
+    cup_re         = re.compile('^\033\[[0-9]+;[0-9]+H')
 
     callbacks = {
         'clear': 'term_do_clear',
         'home':  'term_do_creturn',
+        'rmm':   'term_nop',
+        'smm':   'term_nop',
+        'op':    'term_nop', #original color-pair
+
+        'smacs': 'term_nop', #orig charset
+        'rmacs': 'term_nop',
+        'smso':  'term_nop', #enter standout mode
+        'rmso':  'term_nop',
+        'cup':   'term_nop',
     }
     def __init__(self):
         self._meta = []
-        f = os.popen('infocmp xterm', 'r')
-        #f = open('xterm.terminfo')
+        f = os.popen('infocmp %s' % self.termtype, 'r')
+        #f = open('%s.terminfo' % self.termtype)
         self.sequences = {}
         for line in f:
             if self.comment_re.match(line) or self.header_re.match(line):
@@ -114,6 +129,8 @@ class XTerm(Dumb):
                     self.sequences[val.replace('\\E', '\033')] = name
         f.close()
 
+    def term_nop(self, *args):
+        pass
     def term_filter(self, s):
         self._meta = []
         return Dumb.term_filter(self, s)
@@ -139,7 +156,11 @@ class XTerm(Dumb):
                     self._meta = []
             elif self.style_re.match(s):
                 self._meta = []
-            elif len(s) > 20:
+            elif self.text_signal_re.match(s):
+                self._meta = []
+            elif self.cup_re.match(s):
+                self._meta = []
+            elif s.endswith('\n'):
                 self._term_insert(''.join([show(c) for c in self._meta]))
                 self._meta = []
         else: