diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index cb2478f6..47c7f90c 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@
 - chmod +x socket when any client is attached
 - split clients into three RB trees by fd: attached/unattached/dead?
   or tailqs? what would be fastest per-char?
+- everything should write via a screen and modes should be done by switching
+  screen out
 
 -- For 0.2 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 - window splitting?
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@
   split. string length should be part of the command size
 - echo \\033[35\;46m\\033[2J last line quirk (with C-b r)
 - quick intro section (tmux new/attach/detach) etc
+- is ACS the right way round??
 
 --------
 kmous -- \E[M
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index e0f0249e..3944ff0a 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id: tty.c,v 1.7 2007-11-27 23:28:51 nicm Exp $ */
+/* $Id: tty.c,v 1.8 2007-12-03 10:47:27 nicm Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2007 Nicholas Marriott <nicm@users.sourceforge.net>
@@ -268,19 +268,44 @@ tty_vwrite(struct tty *tty, int cmd, va_list ap)
 		break;
 	case TTY_INSERTLINE:
 		ua = va_arg(ap, u_int);
-		tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_insert_line, ua));
+		if (parm_insert_line != NULL)
+			tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_insert_line, ua));
+		else {
+			while (ua-- > 0)
+				tty_puts(tty, insert_line);
+		}
 		break;
 	case TTY_DELETELINE:
 		ua = va_arg(ap, u_int);
-		tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_delete_line, ua));
+		if (parm_delete_line != NULL)
+			tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_delete_line, ua));
+		else {
+			while (ua-- > 0)
+				tty_puts(tty, delete_line);
+		}
 		break;
 	case TTY_INSERTCHARACTER:
 		ua = va_arg(ap, u_int);
-		tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_ich, ua));
+		if (parm_ich != NULL)
+			tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_ich, ua));
+		else if (insert_character != NULL) {
+			while (ua-- > 0)
+				tty_puts(tty, insert_character);
+		} else if (enter_insert_mode != NULL) {
+			tty_puts(tty, enter_insert_mode);
+			while (ua-- > 0)
+				tty_putc(tty, ' ');
+			tty_puts(tty, exit_insert_mode);
+		}
 		break;
 	case TTY_DELETECHARACTER:
 		ua = va_arg(ap, u_int);
-		tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_dch, ua));
+		if (parm_dch != NULL)
+			tty_puts(tty, tparm(parm_dch, ua));
+		else {
+			while (ua-- > 0)
+				tty_puts(tty, delete_character);
+		}
 		break;
 	case TTY_CURSORON:
 		if (cursor_normal != NULL)