vt(4) "newcons" and 80x25 vty? (tested: 10.1-BETA2)

Thu Sep 25 22:53:02 UTC 2014

On Thu, 25 Sep 2014 18:13:56 +0200, "Ronald Klop" <ronald-lists at klop.ws>
wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:31:49 +0200, <beeessdee at ruggedinbox.com> wrote:
>
>> I daily use FreeBSD with base system virtual terminals (no X).  I am
>> excited of vt(4) with Unicodes support.  But screen has arbitrary number
>> of lines and columns, whatever will fit with selected font.  How to get
>> standard 80x25?
>
> Hello,
>
> Can you try hw.vga.textmode=1 in loader.conf? It will a similar screen as
> syscons did.
> See man vt(4).

Thanks for the response.

That sounds as good workaround, if works when kms/drm loaded; I will try
it as soon as I can be by my test machine.

For longer term, when there is time, I like to hack on font system for
other goals in my previous mail:  Smooth fonts sized right at native/max
resolution provided with new(ish) kms driver stack.  What a waste to stick
to vgamode.  Any pointers toward where I should start?  Documentation is
scarcer than the usual FreeBSD (not a criticism - it is new subsystem!). 
If "documentation is the source" then I can do that - but it takes yet
more time, much more starting from no knowledge of vt(4) subsystem font
handling.  Better start with manpage or equivalent overview, then read
sources...

Thanks again.

[EOF]

> Regards,
> Ronald.
>
>
>>
>> First of all, thanks to ray and the various "ed"s for all the hard work
>> making the newcons/vt(4) modern subsystem.  This is very important, and
>> much less appreciated than shiny popular widgets!  I very much look
>> forward to when vt(4) has the stability and feature parity with
>> decades-old syscons... plus all the critical new features for
>> non-English language, etc.
>>
>> I just tested in 10.1-BETA2 with following steps; specific questions are
>> below:
>>
>> 	1. Drop to loader prompt, "set kern.vty=vt", "boot".
>>
>> 	2. Drop from installer to "live system".
>>
>> 	3. kldload appropriate kms driver (could also do in step 1).
>>
>> 	4. vidfont(1) has bug which prevents selecting Gallant (12x22
>> 	biggest font provided).  So, use vidcontrol(1) with "-f" switch
>> 	directly.
>>
>> 	5. Try setting LINES and COLS in environment, at least fool
>> 	the applications...  Not working, really.
>>
>> vidcontrol(1) is totally confused about screen modes. I understand this
>> is work in progress.
>>
>> I read every manpage, https://wiki.freebsd.org/Newcons , searched web.
>>
>> Why this is important:  If I edit source code in vi(1), my lines will
>> become too long.  Other applications expecting the 80x25 or other
>> customary sizes may be confused.  Most of all, I want the fonts bigger -
>> as big as fit 80x25 on my physical screen.  I have poor eyesight!
>>
>> Quick calc example for optimal font sizing:  At the common nowadays
>> resolution of 1366x768, biggest pixel fitting 80x25 will be 17x30.  For
>> tty style fonts with 2:1 ratio, this means 15x30 font with 166x18 waste
>> pixels HxW - unless extra pixel row needed after each line, in which
>> case 14x28 font with 246x43 waste pixels.  A 12x22 font (as gallant)
>> with extra 1px row spacing results in 113x33 character grid - or if
>> restricted to 80x25 grid (how!?), then 406x193 waste pixels.
>>
>> Questions:
>>
>> 	A. How to force 80x25 terminal, even if it does not use
>> 	whole screen?  This will be the quick workaround!
>>
>> 	B. Where are sources for Gallant?  What program is used to
>> 	create it?  A brief web search did not reveal this.
>>
>> 	C. Any work in font besides Gallant?  (Sorry, it is matter
>> 	of taste!)  I would try make my own, but I am not font
>> 	talent.
>>
>> 	D. Any suggestions from font guys of non-Xorg program to
>> 	rasterize OpenType fonts, make Metafont rasters into
>> 	the appropriate format, etc.?
>>
>> 	E. Side question:  Is vgl(3) being supported or replaced with
>> 	vt(4) newcons?  (Have not tested; but at the brief look, it
>> 	all ioctls changed around.)
>>
>> 	F. How to set screen resolution, with not working vidcontrol(1)?
>>
>> Suggestions:
>>
>> * Dynamically created raster font, from vector sources, to create at
>> runtime the largest glyphs which will permit 80 columns and 25 lines
>> at the screen's actual resolution.  Just like most tex systems
>> automatically run mf when needed.  I could maybe play with this, if
>> I have time and the font sources.
>>
>> * Try converting metafont output to the appropriate format.  It's
>> already tuned for to give old fashioned pixmap.  I will play with this
>> when time permits.
>>
>> I realize, most people just use X.  But, please do not forget people who
>> don't like the Xorg bugware disaster.
>>
>> Thanks again for all hard work to make the vt(4) newcons.
>>
>>
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