Arch Linux

It means that you're using a TERM variable that your terminal can't actually support. So... what terminal are you using, and what does 'echo $TERM' show?

I tried screen,xterm,linux,xterm-256color as $TERM, but no luck.
My terminal emulator is Terminal(from xfce4).

Also tried in tty, but also no luck.

So I don't think it has something to do with the $TERM env variable.

Also, if you compile a C source code into binary, the binary seems to be all right.
e.g.:

#include <ncurses.h>


WINDOW *create_newwin(int height, int width, int starty, int startx);
void destroy_win(WINDOW *local_win);

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{ WINDOW *my_win;
int startx, starty, width, height;
int ch;

initscr(); /* Start curses mode */
cbreak(); /* Line buffering disabled, Pass on
* everty thing to me */
keypad(stdscr, TRUE); /* I need that nifty F1 */

height = 3;
width = 10;
starty = (LINES - height) / 2; /* Calculating for a center placement */
startx = (COLS - width) / 2; /* of the window */
printw("Press F1 to exit");
refresh();
my_win = create_newwin(height, width, starty, startx);

while((ch = getch()) != KEY_F(1))
{ switch(ch)
{ case KEY_LEFT:
destroy_win(my_win);
my_win = create_newwin(height, width, starty,--startx);
break;
case KEY_RIGHT:
destroy_win(my_win);
my_win = create_newwin(height, width, starty,++startx);
break;
case KEY_UP:
destroy_win(my_win);
my_win = create_newwin(height, width, --starty,startx);
break;
case KEY_DOWN:
destroy_win(my_win);
my_win = create_newwin(height, width, ++starty,startx);
break;
}
}

endwin(); /* End curses mode */
return 0;
}

WINDOW *create_newwin(int height, int width, int starty, int startx)
{ WINDOW *local_win;

local_win = newwin(height, width, starty, startx);
box(local_win, 0 , 0); /* 0, 0 gives default characters
* for the vertical and horizontal
* lines */
wrefresh(local_win); /* Show that box */

return local_win;
}

void destroy_win(WINDOW *local_win)
{
/* box(local_win, ' ', ' '); : This won't produce the desired
* result of erasing the window. It will leave it's four corners
* and so an ugly remnant of window.
*/
wborder(local_win, ' ', ' ', ' ',' ',' ',' ',' ',' ');
/* The parameters taken are
* 1. win: the window on which to operate
* 2. ls: character to be used for the left side of the window
* 3. rs: character to be used for the right side of the window
* 4. ts: character to be used for the top side of the window
* 5. bs: character to be used for the bottom side of the window
* 6. tl: character to be used for the top left corner of the window
* 7. tr: character to be used for the top right corner of the window
* 8. bl: character to be used for the bottom left corner of the window
* 9. br: character to be used for the bottom right corner of the window
*/
wrefresh(local_win);
delwin(local_win);
}

Do other ncurses applications work?

TERM directly correlates to terminfo, which directly correlates to the functionality/capabilities of the terminal. It has everything to do with the TERM variable and the associated terminfo being available/supported by your terminal. Unless you've messed with the stty or other terminal manipulation commands in your shell RC files, there's little else that could be at fault.

rtorrent and vifm both work fine using my default xterm-256color TERM.

So the problem may be the scripts that generate the menuconfig UI?

Unassigning me. Does not sound like ncurses issue if other programs work.

I found the problem.

It is the cope-git which wrapped the oringinal make command caused the problem.
If I use /usr/bin/make, everything works fine as usual.

Please close the bug and thanks everyone.