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  • From: Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [BL] BL2 without X on an XT keyboard - scroll buffer
  • Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 00:13:46 -0500 (EST)

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004, James Miller wrote:

> On Mon, 22 Mar 2004, Sindi Keesan wrote:
>
> > I am running out of reasons to use X in BL2. I don't need X to get more
> > text on a page, so long as I am happy with a choice of 40, 80, 100 and 132
> > columns of text mode screen font (and many choices of number of lines).
> > The console mode program 'screen' can be used to copy things between 10 or
> > more programs running in the same console, and two switch between them.
>
> Now wait a minute. Are you saying you installed screen to BL2? Or are
> you just telling us about its capabilities (which I already know about
> anyway) and saying that, in theory, it could help you get BL2 working as
> you want? If it's actually installed and working, I want to know more -
> mainly what dependency issues you confronted. Any other information on
> installing and running it would also be relevant to post here.


My screen that works for me on two BL2 computers is a version 3.9 compiled
for Slackware 8.0 but there was another SW80 version besides the main one
that I found at some other site and a SW81 version too. I forget which
one worked but I kept three packages and can check tomorrow if you
want. (I am on a DOS computer now). The version compiled statically with
ncurses that I found somewhere did not work for me. I should keep notes.

I could not find screen for SW71. The SW8.x screen does not work with
SW71 ncurses. It took some experimenting to find a working combination.
Try the pair from SW80 mirrors first.

You can play with screen at my bbs www.grex.org if you can find a way to
telnet there.

It is possible to run screen on two terminals and copy between terminals
without a mouse. I forget how.

> > Text-mode browsers lynx and links can use zgv for viewing (or seejpeg but
> > some cards don't work with it) so xli is not needed.
>
> I used links in BL3 and it was configured to open graphic files with xli.

> What don't you like about that arrangement? Why is zgv a better choice?

zgv does not require starting X. I prefer to run lynx in console mode
rather than bothering with X and font and terminal sizes. I have lynx set
up to use links2 as a downloader in case I hit a site that makes no sense
without inline graphics or tables. I am used to lynx.

> > Opera
> >
> > (which can't be run in BL2, but can in BL3 with newer libraries)
>
> Are you sure? Have you installed it to BL3 and gotten it working? If you
> have, some of us would like to hear more (as I mentioned above for
> screen).

I got this backwards - it works in Bl2 but not BL3. Sorry. There is not
even space in BL3 for Opera, which is huge.

> > but links2 graphical works without X. Links is not too good at javascript
> > yet. Links2 only works at 640x480x16 colors (or CGA and 256 colors) on a
>
> There's also links-hacked, which may be a little further developed than
> Links2. I've used it on DamnSmallLinux and liked alot of what I saw.
> Very similar to Links2 in doing inline graphics, and also with at least
> some javascript functionality (as well as ssl).

Is there some version that would work with BL2? I tried some version of
links with javascript on a FreeBSD machine and it could not handle most of
the javascript I tried it on last year. I could not use the graphical
part of it since I was dialed in to a text-only system.

Today we played with links 2.19. It calls for a vgalib.conf file (which I
have only on another computer) in which you select a mouse. The default
is something odd. I thought it was supposed to be statically compiled and
would not need additional configuration files but it first looked for x
and then complained a bit about not finding things pertinent to svgalib.
How have other people gotten a mouse working with links in console mode?

> > SVGAlib does not seem to be keeping up the new video hardware.
>
> Yes, the project seems to be moribund, unfortunately. It would be a great
> boon for survpc'ers if development would continue.

It is also rather unpredictable. An older PCI S3 only did 640 res, a
trio 64V did 1024 and another trio 64 only 800 res (one may have been +).
They all do 1024 or higher in X, and our DOS program tests them to 1600.

> > version of gv - what is the Debian equivalent of SW7.1?
>
> I think that would be Debian 2.2 - called "Potato." Current Debian's
> ("Woody," Debian 3.0) default kernel is 2.2.20, btw. Seems most
> immediately upgrade to a stable 2.4.x kernel, though.

I looked at several Debian mirror sites. I found one with Debian 2.3 and
the others had only newer versions. Where can we find Debian 2.2?

I will see if SuSE 6.2 (we have the CD) has gv or other interesting
things. We also have Caldera 2.3 and 2.4 CDs from a friend.

>
> Can't really help with your other questions, unfortunately.
>
> James
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