RESIZECONS(S)            Console Support            RESIZECONS(S)



NAME
       resizecons - change kernel idea of the console size

SYNOPSIS
       resizecons COLSxROWS
       resizecons -lines ROWS

DESCRIPTION
       The  resizecons  command  tries to change the videomode of
       the console.  There are several aspects to this:  (a)  the
       kernel  must  know  about  it,  (b) the hardware must know
       about it, (c) user programs must know about  it,  (d)  the
       console font may have to be adapted.

       (a)  The  kernel  is told about the change using the ioctl
       VT_RESIZE.  This causes the kernel to  reallocate  console
       screen  memory for all virtual consoles, and might fail if
       there is not enough memory.  (In that case, try to  disal-
       locate  some  virtual consoles first.)  If this ioctl suc-
       ceeds, but a later step fails (e.g., because  you  do  not
       have  root permissions), you may be left with a very messy
       screen.

       The most difficult part of this is (b), since it  requires
       detailed  knowledge  of  the  video card hardware, and the
       setting of numerous registers. Only changing the number of
       rows  is  slightly  easier,  and resizecons will try to do
       that itself, when given the -lines option. (Probably, root
       permission will be required.)  The command resizecons COL-
       SxROWS will  execute  restoretextmode  -r  COLSxROWS  (and
       hence requires that you have svgalib installed). Here COL-
       SxROWS is a file that  was  created  earlier  by  restore-
       textmode -w COLSxROWS.  Again, either root permissions are
       required, or restoretextmode has to be suid root.

       In order to deal with (c), resizecons does  a  `stty  rows
       ROWS  cols  COLS'  for  each  active console (in the range
       tty0..tty15), and sends a SIGWINCH signal to selection  if
       it finds the file /tmp/selection.pid.

       Finally, (d) is dealt with by executing a setfont command.
       Most likely, the wrong font is loaded, and you may want to
       do another setfont yourself afterwards.


BUGS
       resizecons  does  not  work on all hardware.  This command
       used to be called resize, but was renamed  to  avoid  con-
       flict with another command with the same name.


SEE ALSO
       setfont(t),   stty(y),  selection(n),  restoretextmode(e),
       disalloc(c)




Local                      17 Jan 1995              RESIZECONS(S)