X -f: Function not available
X -f, read as "minus function", means the key or function you just used isn't available in this 3270 session. The terminal refused it and locked the keyboard. Press Reset to carry on.
Other names for this code
Also written as X -f, X-f, minus function, X minus function, 3270 minus function, X -f OIA, function not available 3270, keyboard locked minus f.
What it means
In the 3270 operator information area an X means input is inhibited. The minus sign followed by a small f stands for minus function. The terminal or emulator recognized the key you pressed, but the function behind it can't be performed in this session. It refuses the request locally, so nothing goes to the host.
This is an operator-side lock, like typing in a protected field. It isn't the application telling you something. The keyboard stays locked until you press Reset.
Which functions count as unavailable depends on the emulator, the session type and how the session is configured. A key can work in one session and give minus function in another on the same PC.
Common causes
- You pressed a key that is mapped to a function the current session doesn't support, such as a key set up for a different session type.
- The emulator's keyboard map sends a function the session or connection can't carry out. Remapped keyboards and imported keyboard files are a common source.
- The function depends on a feature that isn't configured or not negotiated with the server for this session, such as a printer association or a TN3270E-only function.
- You used a function that needs a particular screen state, and the screen wasn't in that state.
How to find the problem
- Remember which key or menu item you used just before the X -f appeared. That is the function the session refused.
- Open the emulator's keyboard settings and look at what that key is mapped to. Check whether the mapping makes sense for a 3270 display session.
- Check the session type and connection settings. A function may need TN3270E, a linked printer session or another option that this session doesn't have.
- Try the same key in a freshly started session with the default keyboard map. If it works there, the custom map or session profile is the cause.
How to fix it
- Press Reset. The keyboard comes back and the screen is unchanged, because nothing was sent to the host.
- Use the key the application actually expects. Check the application's function key line or help screen.
- Correct the keyboard map in the emulator so the key sends the function you want, or go back to the default map.
- If you need the function, ask whoever manages the emulator profiles to enable it for this session, for example by defining the printer or turning on TN3270E.
Read this error in WND Terminal
For a visible X -f message, Explain this screen can help interpret the screen under IT’s configured AI policy. It does not establish the cause of a rejected host data stream. Preserve the exact status and follow the diagnostic steps in this article.
Try the WND Terminal sample with fictional data · 3270 emulator features and installation · 5250 emulator for IBM i
IBM documentation
IBM Personal Communications documentation. Use the documentation for your installed release.
This link opens the relevant IBM reference library or lookup instructions. Match the complete code and your installed product release; it is not a code-specific review.
Related codes
Questions
Did X -f send anything to the host?
No. The terminal refused the function itself, so the application never saw the key.
How do I get rid of X -f?
Press Reset. Then use a key the session supports, or fix the emulator's keyboard map.
Why does the same key work in another session?
Sessions can have different types, keyboard maps and options. A function that one session supports can be unavailable in another.