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#1 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 07:09 AM

I am frequently using the console instead of X.

I have been using both kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x though the same problem
appears rather often i.e. the bottom 1/3 of the console looks strange and I
can only use 2/3 of the console for editing and command line etc. It does
not help to type e.g. "clear" or "tput clear"...

Is this a well known problem? I am not using any frame buffer features.

Thanks!

#2 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 07:09 AM

Magnus wrote:

> I am frequently using the console instead of X.

So am I.

> I have been using both kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x though the same problem
> appears rather often i.e. the bottom 1/3 of the console looks strange
> and I can only use 2/3 of the console for editing and command line
> etc.

Strange ... Never heard of it before ...

> It does not help to type e.g. "clear" or "tput clear"...

How about 'reset'?

> Is this a well known problem?

How did you configure the kernel? Home-brew or did you use some sort of
configuration tool?

> I am not using any frame buffer features.

Define "features". Are you using frame buffer at all? Perhaps X is
messing with the graphics card in some way. I've seen it do that from
time to time when I'm forced to kill X. I restore the console with
'textmode' from 'media-libs/svgalib'. First I had to run 'savetextmode'
in a working configuration, though.

--
PeKaJe

Linux is not a desktop OS for people whose VCRs are still flashing "12:00".
-- Paul Tomblin

#3 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 07:09 AM

Magnus <me@privacy.net> writes:

> I am frequently using the console instead of X.
>
> I have been using both kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x though the same problem
> appears rather often i.e. the bottom 1/3 of the console looks strange and I
> can only use 2/3 of the console for editing and command line etc. It does
> not help to type e.g. "clear" or "tput clear"...
>
> Is this a well known problem? I am not using any frame buffer features.

I've never seen it. Does it affect all of the pseudo-terminals at the
same time? If you log out and back in does the screen return to normal?
Can you reproduce it the same way every time or is it random?

#4 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 07:09 AM

Peter Jensen wrote:

> Magnus wrote:
>
>> I am frequently using the console instead of X.
>
> So am I.
>
>> I have been using both kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x though the same problem
>> appears rather often i.e. the bottom 1/3 of the console looks strange
>> and I can only use 2/3 of the console for editing and command line
>> etc.
>
> Strange ... Never heard of it before ...
>
>> It does not help to type e.g. "clear" or "tput clear"...
>
> How about 'reset'?
>
>> Is this a well known problem?
>
> How did you configure the kernel? Home-brew or did you use some sort of
> configuration tool?
>
>> I am not using any frame buffer features.
>
> Define "features". Are you using frame buffer at all? Perhaps X is
> messing with the graphics card in some way. I've seen it do that from
> time to time when I'm forced to kill X. I restore the console with
> 'textmode' from 'media-libs/svgalib'. First I had to run 'savetextmode'
> in a working configuration, though.

Thanks Peter!

I will try a reset next time it happens.

The graphic card is integrated on the motherboard:
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA G200 AGP
(rev 03)

The strange thing is that this happens e.g. after I have been editing with
vim or after I have been reading a man-page. I have never seen this before
though I will try to do a reset next time. This happens also without using
X first.

Regards,
Magnus

#5 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 07:09 AM

walt wrote:

> Magnus <me@privacy.net> writes:
>
>> I am frequently using the console instead of X.
>>
>> I have been using both kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x though the same problem
>> appears rather often i.e. the bottom 1/3 of the console looks strange and
>> I can only use 2/3 of the console for editing and command line etc. It
>> does not help to type e.g. "clear" or "tput clear"...
>>
>> Is this a well known problem? I am not using any frame buffer features.
>
> I've never seen it. Does it affect all of the pseudo-terminals at the
> same time? If you log out and back in does the screen return to normal?
> Can you reproduce it the same way every time or is it random?

It is rather random (sometimes it happens after editing with vim, other
times it happens after reading a man-page).

If it happens to one of the pseudo-terminals the others are not affected.
Also after doing a logout and another login, the problem remains.

I removed CONSOLEFONT="lat9w-12" from /etc/rc.conf just to see if the
problem remains.

I will let you know if it remains.

Thanks,
Magnus

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Annoying console problem in Gentoo