Newbie needs help getting started

My problem...
My input from the Keyboard is not displayed in the console.
The keys I normally use to move from one field to the next doesnot seem to be
working either.
Normally the console will echo back to me the user name I type in then, I'll use
the TAB key to move down to the password field that is not echo in the console 
then
once the password is entered the ENTER key logs me in. Now the user name isnt 
shown
in the console until I press the ESCAPE key the Login wont take place until I 
type
ESCAPE twice.
At this ponit not being able to see what I type in or not knowing if a Function 
key
is wroking correctly or not prevents me from going futher.

Just to double check myself here is the out line I followed to install and run
tn5250

installed libary ncurses
./configure
make
make check
make install

as root # loadkeys us5250.map
as root # tic 5250.terminfo
as root # /usr/local/bin/tn5250 -m 37 -s ATLANTA myas400hosts

the terminal displays as good as any I've seen, yet what I enter into the 
console
is not showing up.

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