Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

You can add vga=ask to the boot.bat file (after loadlin zimage) and get a 
choice of which size console to boot into.  I had 8 choices, and when I 
typed scan instead of a number it gave me a ninth choice (40x25).
But sometimes I might want to switch to a smaller font (more columns
and/or rows) after booting, in order to use links or read mail that
is too wide for pine in 80 columns, then switch back to 80x25.

I did some reading in the man files that came with kbd.tgz and at the 
linux sites from Steven's hotlist.html and you need to do the following:

1.  Have a kernel that supports vga=ask (BL3 does not) and boot, and 
choose one of the numbers (after doing scan to make sure you got them all, 
as they differ for each card).  I chose for my S3 7 - 132x25.  Boot in 
that mode.

2.  You need a program called restoretextmode (probably comes with 
kbd.tgz).  Type restoretextmode -w 132x25 to write a file 132x25 and 
either be in /usr/lib/kbd/videomodes when you do that or move it there 
afterwards.  I needed to mkdir videomodes first.

3.  Do this for all the modes you might want to use and put all the files 
in the videomodes directory.

4.  Use resizcons (or SVGATextMode from a separate package) to resize to 
a console which you have made a file for. 
resizecons 132x25
resizecons 80x25

You get a message to change to terminal linux-132x25, for instance. 
How and why would I do that?
I am currently dialed in at 132x25, the equivalent of 1024 in X.
I have not changed terminal and it works at my shell account anyway.


Do not use a file made with one video card for another card or you will 
get some very strange looking blinking screens with odd characters. This 
has something to do with hardware registers and hexadecimal codes.


Presumably you can also load a different font first before resizecons,
and use a browser in Cyrillic and 132 columns.  

These are VGA modes.  Don't try this with Hercules TTL.
(I once damaged a TTL monitor by trying to load a VGA font with some Thai 
program that did not bother checking first, but it was a $2 part).

Many thanks to the people who explained how to use vga=ask, which was a 
necessary step in this process.

Resizecons resizes all the consoles, including ones you have not used yet.
I have not tried this on a setup with two monitors.  I hope it does not 
damage my TTL monitor trying to resize both monitors.   I am sure I could 
never remember to unplug it first (even if I could reach the plug).