[Plug] I now have 23 virtual terminals

[Darxus <darxus@op.net>]

I have pretty much always used the console as my primary interface, since
my 15" monitor isn't sufficient for me to use X as my primary interface (I
figure a 19" monitor at 1280x1024 should be sufficient, and I really
should just get one).

Everyone should know that hitting LeftAlt-Fn (where Fn is one of the 12
function keys) will switch virtual terminals.  

By default, I believe most linux distributions come with 6 virtual
terminals set up -- 1-6, and 7 is where X goes.  If you're in X, you can
do ctrl-alt-Fn to switch to a virtual terminal.

For some time I've had virtual terminals 8-12 added.  The kernel is
capable of handling up to 63.  

I've just been reading the Linux Keyboard and Console HOWTO.

I just found out how to do all 63 virtual consoles, navigating between
them using alt-LeftArror & alt-RightArrow, and spawning new ones with
alt-UpArrow (this requires extra stuff).  But that's a pretty unacceptable
means of navigation to me, since I can't jump right to the virtual
terminal I want.

I just figured out how to add 12 more easily accessable virtual consoles.
You can access virtual terminals 13-24 with RightAlt-Fn !! (yes, this I'm
excited about this because I don't go outside enough).

To actually create those virtual consoles to be accessed via
Left/RightAlt-Fn, you need to add stuff to /etc/inittab -- make a backup
copy of it before you mangle it.  I like to copy the original to
/etc/inittab.orig, and from time to time copy my current functioning
version to /etc/inittab.bak (a format I use for pretty much everything I
edit).

You should see stuff in your /etc/inittab to make your 1st 6 virtual
terminals work that looks something like:

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1
2:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
3:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty3
4:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty4
5:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty5
6:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty6

This is taken from a Debian install, I suggest you mimic the currently
existing lines in your inittab.

: is a section delimiter.  

Description of sections:

1) 1 or 2 character line name, that has to be uniq (no 2 lines can have
   the same line name).

2) init levels under which to execute this line -- Debian's default
   runlevel is 2.  I think RedHat's is 3.  Runlevel 1 is single user.

3) I don't remember what else can be put here, but saying "respawn" will
   restart the program if it dies.

4) Program to run.  man getty if you want more info on this field for
   this purpose.

So to make virtual terminals 8-12 work (remember I skipped 7 because
that's where X goes), I added:

8:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty8

through

12:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty12

-- all of which are accessed by LeftAlt-Fn.

I just now added 13-24:

13:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty13

 through

24:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty24


See ?  Easy, isn't it ?


I actually lied about my configuration.  I don't have virtual terminals
10, 11 & 12.

For 10, I have a script that's spawned in /etc/ppp/ip-up that connects to
my shell account via ssh & runs pine (would be happy to give this to
anybody who cares).

For 11, I have the output of the Great Internet Mersenne Primes Search
program output to /dev/tty11 (I used to do this w/ the distributed.net
client before I switched to gimps).  (http://www.mersenne.org/prime.htm --
find the next largest prime, be famous)

For 12, I have the following line in my /etc/syslog.conf :

*.* /dev/tty12

This causes everything which goes through the logging daemon to be written
to the 12th virtual terminal, so that a lot of information about what's
going on in your machine can easily be seen by hitting alt-f12.

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            darxus@op.net / http://www.op.net/~darxus
          Join the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search
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