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 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 reg-
       isters.	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	execute	 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	 set-
       font 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)

UNIX/Linux commands referenced on this page:

1. card
2. stty
3. file
4. setfont
5. resize