How do I change the console device in /etc/ttys ???

In our last episode, <nruUj.2012$ah4.240@flpi148.ffdc.sbc.com>, the lovely
and talented Michael Faklis broadcast on comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:
[color=blue]
> The default /etc/ttys file sets all of the consoles TTYn as cons25. I'm
> trying to change some of the consoles to other types, including cons25-w,
> cons43-w. It seems whatever I do, I end up with a cons25 80x25 terminal.
> How can I override the default console type?[/color]

As I understand it, the entry in ttys is an attempt to describe the terminal
type to getty and doesn't make getty do anything to the terminal.

While it is usually a simple matter to change the video mode for all the
virtual termnals (using allscreens_flags in rc.conf with the VESA module in
the kernel if you need a VESA mode), I do not think it is possible to change
only some of them with satisfactory results. Switching screens will not
work automagically. You can use vidcontrol (see man vidcontrol) to change
video modes and fonts, but it will affect all of the virtual terms (until
and unless you use vidcontrol to change the mode back. You can make this
process a little less painful by aliasing vidcontrol with appropriate flags
to something easy to remember (and if you set all three font sizes in
rc.conf --- the normal practice --- the right font will be used), but I
don't know of any way to make switching screens seamless when you want
virtual terminals in differing video modes.

In other words, if you have not set allscreens_flags, you will get 80x25 on
all virtual terms until you set another mode with vidcontrol. You will then
get that mode on all virtual terms until you (re)set the mode with
vidcontrol. You can tame vidcontrol with shell aliasing (even on a
per-program basis), but so far as I know, you cannot make it automatic when
you change screens with keystrokes (default= Alt-Fxx).

--
Lars Eighner <http://larseighner.com/> [email]usenet@larseighner.com[/email]
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