RESIZECONS(8)                                            Console Support                                           RESIZECONS(8)



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  disallocate  some
       virtual  consoles  first.)   If  this  ioctl succeeds, but a later step fails (e.g., because you do not have root permis-
       sions), 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 COLSxROWS  will  exe-
       cute restoretextmode -r COLSxROWS (and hence requires that you have svgalib installed). Here COLSxROWS is a file that was
       created earlier by restoretextmode -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 conflict with
       another command with the same name.


SEE ALSO
       setfont(8), stty(1), selection(1), restoretextmode(8), disalloc(8)




Local                                                      17 Jan 1995                                             RESIZECONS(8)