Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

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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