This is against http://git.fedorahosted.org/cgit/initscripts.git/
and part of https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/256_Color_Terminals

The scripts should work on any system though,
in either system-wide or per-user profile setting.

From bdd5a5e3bd11d904939bd15bcc54c8ef89ef1ed4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?P=C3=A1draig=20Brady?= <pbrady@redhat.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 21:56:17 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Enable 256 color terminals by default

---
 Makefile    |    1 +
 term256.csh |   27 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 term256.sh  |   28 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 56 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 term256.csh
 create mode 100644 term256.sh

diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c209bef..8f3b664 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ install:
 	install -m644  rwtab statetab networks $(ROOT)/etc
 	install -m755  service setsysfont $(ROOT)/sbin
 	install -m644  lang.csh lang.sh $(ROOT)/etc/profile.d
+	install -m644  term256.csh term256.sh $(ROOT)/etc/profile.d
 	install -m644  debug.csh debug.sh $(ROOT)/etc/profile.d
 	install -m755  sys-unconfig $(ROOT)/usr/sbin
 	install -m644  service.8 sys-unconfig.8 $(ROOT)$(mandir)/man8
diff --git a/term256.csh b/term256.csh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1197512
--- /dev/null
+++ b/term256.csh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Enable 256 color capabilities for appropriate terminals
+
+# Uncomment this if you want remote xterms connecting
+# to this system, to be sent 256 colors.  Note that
+# local xterms, ssh'ing to localhost are considered
+# remote in this context, but in that case, $TERM should
+# have already been set to 256 color capable.
+#   SEND_256_COLORS_TO_REMOTE=1
+
+# Terminals with any of the following set, support 256 colors (and are local)
+set local256="$?COLORTERM$?XTERM_VERSION$?ROXTERM_ID$?KONSOLE_DBUS_SESSION"
+
+if ($?TERM && ($local256 || $?SEND_256_COLORS_TO_REMOTE)) then
+
+  switch ($TERM)
+    case 'xterm':
+    case 'screen':
+    case 'Eterm':
+      setenv TERM "$TERM-256color"
+  endsw
+
+  if ($?TERMCAP && ($TERM == "screen-256color")) then
+    setenv TERMCAP `echo "$TERMCAP" | sed -e 's/Co#8/Co#256/g'`
+  endif
+endif
+
+unset local256
diff --git a/term256.sh b/term256.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43d45ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/term256.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Enable 256 color capabilities for appropriate terminals
+
+# Uncomment this if you want remote xterms connecting
+# to this system, to be sent 256 colors.  Note that
+# local xterms, ssh'ing to localhost are considered
+# remote in this context, but in that case, $TERM should
+# have already been set to 256 color capable.
+#   SEND_256_COLORS_TO_REMOTE=1
+
+# Terminals with any of the following set, support 256 colors (and are local)
+local256="$COLORTERM$XTERM_VERSION$ROXTERM_ID$KONSOLE_DBUS_SESSION"
+
+if [ -n "$local256" ] || [ -n "$SEND_256_COLORS_TO_REMOTE" ]; then
+
+  case "$TERM" in
+    'xterm') TERM=xterm-256color;;
+    'screen') TERM=screen-256color;;
+    'Eterm') TERM=Eterm-256color;;
+  esac
+  export TERM
+
+  if [ -n "$TERMCAP" ] && [ "$TERM" = "screen-256color" ]; then
+    TERMCAP=$(echo "$TERMCAP" | sed -e 's/Co#8/Co#256/g')
+    export TERMCAP
+  fi
+fi
+
+unset local256
-- 
1.7.6.4