Is it possible to load saver without reboot ?

[Polytropon]

On Fri, 14 Apr 2017 18:24:49 +0000, Manish Jain wrote:
> 
> 
> On 04/14/17 20:23, Polytropon wrote:
> > On Fri, 14 Apr 2017 14:49:09 +0000, Manish Jain wrote:
> >> As part of my experiments with my tertiary box (FreeBSD 12-CURRENT
> >> amd64), I am trying an apparently weird thing : load the saver without
> >> rebooting. I configured the beastie saver by running 'bsdconfig console'
> >> (although I could have just as well simply edited rc.conf myself).
> >>
> >> Normally, beastie would be expected to run only when I reboot. But in
> >> theory, it should be possible to load the saver without rebooting.
> >>
> >> Anyone has any tips ? Thanks.
> > 
> > If I understand the mechanism correctly, the beastie saver
> > is run depending on the kernel screen saver module. When this
> > module has been loaded with kldload, the saver functionality
> > should be enabled - when all other dependencies are met, just
> > as /etc/rc would execute them when the system boots (rc.conf
> > entries, service configuration and start for console). It
> > should be possible to do this manually without rebooting.
> > Just check which steps are involved during boot.
> 
> Hi Poly,
> 
> For some reason, it does not work. Normally, I would expect the saver to 
> show up in 5 (max 10) minutes.
> 
> I disabled the saver by deleting the line saver="beastie" in rc.conf, 
> and rebooted the system. On reboot, kldstat did not list the beastie 
> module. I then used 'bsdconfig console' to again set the saver, and then 
> kldloaded beastie_saver. I then waited 13 minutes - the saver did not 
> show up. So there is something else too which stops saver invocation.

I'd say it's never started. If I remember correctly, there is
a rc.d script which obtains the rc.conf information and then
initiates the appropriate console behaviour.

The following idea is to be read with the "sc->vt problem" in
mind - on my home system, I'm still using VT because switching
between X and 80x25 text mode somehow feels essential to me. :-)

>From quick examination, I suggest you run "/etc/rc.d/syscons restart"
or at least check which commands it will execute, related to
the saver: This is the "vidcontrol" program where the required
"flags string" is constructed; see "man vidcontrol" for details.

Actually, I have no idea about vt, or if/how it uses vidcontrol,
because "unusable black console after X" is something I now have
accepted as unpleasant, but inevitable... :-/



> This is not exactly a tragedy, but a nice fun-thing to note. Perhaps you 
> have knowledge to hack my system further.

Check your more recent /etc/rc.d/syscons (or other rc.d script
that contains the string "saver") on how it's done today. :-)



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...