> It would be very easy to just ask them. Instead we still insist on shipping a fixed terminfo or termcaps DB.

Isn’t the terminal info easily modifyable? You can add new entries at both the system and user level.

The only actual issues are capabilities. But just like all protocols, there’s need to be an agreement between the software and the terminal. And gradual degradation if some capability is not there. I have more issue with some software hardcoding escape sequences than with not being able to add new terminal entries.