...making Linux just a little more fun!

### How to modify linux console ?

J.Bakshi [j.bakshi at icmail.net]

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:55:42 +0530

Dear all,

I am a debian user but once I got a chance to test Mandrake Linux and there I saw first time the magic of Linux console. First of all; the Mandrake console was neat and clean with high resolution support and Colourful text. More over a transparent Logo was there at the buttom of the screen. It was really nice looking and at the same time disclousing the fact what power is inbuilt inside Linux console!!

I compiled the kernel ( in my debian box ) with Fb and vesa support. Then I add the vga=791 at the kernel configuration line at grub.cfg and now I get high resolution screen with linux logo support at booting. But There are so many things still unresolved and I'll be grateful to the list if some one atlest show me the right direction

1> How can I test what max. resolution my monitor can suport with a command ?

2> High resolution can be opted by SVGA, VGA or fbdevice. What are the difference between these and how can I know which one is best for my Display card ?

3> How to get colorful text; like the text in knoppix during booting ?

4> and finally how can I get the tranparent logo at the butom of my console ?

A no. of question may be these are already there in some document in the system itself. But currently I have no clue and it would be great if Someone atleast show me the direction following which I can be able to resolved all these myself.

Thanks

Top Back

Thomas Adam [thomas.adam22 at gmail.com]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:07:18 +0100

2008/10/10 J.Bakshi <j.bakshi@icmail.net>:

    > 1> How can I test what max. resolution my monitor can suport with a command ?

If this is at the console then you're limited to whatever the graphics output will allow -- you've already seen this indirectly through the use of a framebuffer.

    > 2> High resolution can be opted by SVGA, VGA or fbdevice. What are the
    > difference between these and how can I know which one is best for my Display
    > card ?

They're generally device independent. The one which is "best" makes no sense here.

    > 3> How to get colorful text; like the text in knoppix during booting ?

Is this really necessary? Assuming SysV, you'd have to edit how rc handles return codes as well as the scripts themselves returning certain values. Given these scripts are standardised across distros, you're just going to have to abandon this idea and imagine the colours. How often do you reboot your machine anyway? Do you really care? I know I couldn't give a toss.

    > 4> and finally how can I get the tranparent logo at  the butom of my console ?

An actual TTY? You don't.

-- Thomas Adam

Top Back

J.Bakshi [j.bakshi at icmail.net]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:39:45 +0530

On Saturday 11 Oct 2008 5:37:18 am Thomas Adam wrote:

    > 2008/10/10 J.Bakshi <j.bakshi@icmail.net>:
    > > 1> How can I test what max. resolution my monitor can suport with a
    > > command ?
    >
    > If this is at the console then you're limited to whatever the graphics
    > output will allow -- you've already seen this indirectly through the
    > use of a framebuffer.
    >
    > > 2> High resolution can be opted by SVGA, VGA or fbdevice. What are the
    > > difference between these and how can I know which one is best for my
    > > Display card ?
    >
    > They're generally device independent.  The one which is "best" makes
    > no sense here.
    >
    > > 3> How to get colorful text; like the text in knoppix during booting ?
    >
    > Is this really necessary?  Assuming SysV, you'd have to edit how rc
    > handles return codes as well as the scripts themselves returning
    > certain values.   Given these scripts are standardised across distros,
    > you're just going to have to abandon this idea and imagine the
    > colours.  How often do you reboot your machine anyway?  Do you
    > really care?  I know I couldn't give a toss.
    >
    > > 4> and finally how can I get the tranparent logo at  the butom of my
    > > console ?
    >
    > An actual TTY?  You don't.
    >
    > -- Thomas Adam

Hello Thomas Adam,

Thanks for your discussion. some of my interests like *colorful text* might be sound odd but I still like to know how linux actually do all these. I would be grateful if someone just suggest me a link/doc where I can learn all these.

thanks once again

Top Back

Martin J Hooper [martinjh at blueyonder.co.uk]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:18:34 +0100

J.Bakshi wrote:

    > Hello Thomas Adam,
    >
    > Thanks for your discussion. some of my interests like *colorful text* might be
    > sound odd but I still like to know how linux actually do all these.  I would
    > be grateful if someone just suggest me a link/doc where I can learn all
    > these.

J if you want to know how to make your console prompt colourful the BASH Prompt howto would help a lot.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/pdf/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.pdf

Top Back

Robos [robos at muon.de]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:40:29 +0200

Martin J Hooper schrieb:

    > J.Bakshi wrote:
    >> Hello Thomas Adam,
    >>
    >> Thanks for your discussion. some of my interests like *colorful text* might be
    >> sound odd but I still like to know how linux actually do all these.  I would
    >> be grateful if someone just suggest me a link/doc where I can learn all
    >> these.
    >
    > J if you want to know how to make your console prompt colourful
    > the BASH Prompt howto would help a lot.
    >
    > http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/pdf/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.pdf

I found these links here the other day, I think they are a nice summary: http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/09/bash-shell-ps1-10-examples-to-make-your-linux-prompt-like-angelina-jolie/ http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/09/bash-shell-take-control-of-ps1-ps2-ps3-ps4-and-prompt_command/ http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/08/15-examples-to-master-linux-command-line-history/ Regards, Robos

Top Back

Amit k. Saha [amitsaha.in at gmail.com]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:24:08 +0530

On Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 5:10 PM, Robos <robos@muon.de> wrote:

    > Martin J Hooper schrieb:
    >> J.Bakshi wrote:
    >>> Hello Thomas Adam,
    >>>
    >>> Thanks for your discussion. some of my interests like *colorful text* might be
    >>> sound odd but I still like to know how linux actually do all these.  I would
    >>> be grateful if someone just suggest me a link/doc where I can learn all
    >>> these.
    >>
    >> J if you want to know how to make your console prompt colourful
    >> the BASH Prompt howto would help a lot.
    >>
    >> http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/pdf/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.pdf
    >
    > I found these links here the other day, I think they are a nice summary:
    > http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/09/bash-shell-ps1-10-examples-to-make-your-linux-prompt-like-angelina-jolie/
    > http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/09/bash-shell-take-control-of-ps1-ps2-ps3-ps4-and-prompt_command/
    > http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2008/08/15-examples-to-master-linux-command-line-history/

This might be interesting as well: http://bashish.sourceforge.net/

Best, Amit

    --
    Amit Kumar Saha
    http://blogs.sun.com/amitsaha/
    http://amitsaha.in.googlepages.com/
    Skype: amitkumarsaha

Top Back

Ben Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:39:36 -0400

On Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 10:39:45AM +0530, J.Bakshi wrote:

    >
    > Hello Thomas Adam,
    >
    > Thanks for your discussion. some of my interests like *colorful text* might be
    > sound odd but I still like to know how linux actually do all these.  I would
    > be grateful if someone just suggest me a link/doc where I can learn all
    > these.

Have you tried reading the Console HOWTO? It details how to colorize text, etc.

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Keyboard-and-Console-HOWTO.html

Somewhat complicated example, from my own ~/.bashrc:

    # Create a bold prompt consisting of red square brackets with white text
    # consisting of $USER@$HOST, a colon, and the current directory.
    export PS1="\[\e[31;1m\][\[\e[36;1m\]\u@\h\[\e[33;1m\]:\w\[\e[31;1m\]]\[\e[34;1m\]\[\e[32;1m\]\$ \[\e[37;1m\]"

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

Top Back

Ben Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:44:49 -0400

On Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 12:18:34PM +0100, Martin J Hooper wrote:

    >
    > J if you want to know how to make your console prompt colourful
    > the BASH Prompt howto would help a lot.
    >
    > http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/pdf/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.pdf

That may have been the one I was thinking of. Although the Console HOWTO also contains some non-ASCII control stuff.

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

Top Back

J.Bakshi [j.bakshi at icmail.net]

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:12:31 +0530

On Saturday 11 Oct 2008 4:48:34 pm Martin J Hooper wrote:

    > J.Bakshi wrote:
    > > Hello Thomas Adam,
    > >
    > > Thanks for your discussion. some of my interests like *colorful text*
    > > might be sound odd but I still like to know how linux actually do all
    > > these.  I would be grateful if someone just suggest me a link/doc where I
    > > can learn all these.
    >
    > J if you want to know how to make your console prompt colourful
    > the BASH Prompt howto would help a lot.
    >
    > http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/pdf/Bash-Prompt-H
    >OWTO.pdf

Hello Martin J Hooper and Ben Okopnik,

I am really grateful to you. The links and suggesstion you have given is very helpful for me. Hope after reading the docs I will get some knowledge to reach at the goal.

Thanks once again.

Top Back