Re: Newbie Tips: Will, you asked.....

[will trillich <will@serensoft.com>]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2001 at 02:21:18AM -0700, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> on Mon, Jul 30, 2001 at 12:47:22AM -0500, will trillich (will@serensoft.com) wrote:
> > On Wed, Jul 25, 2001 at 10:36:12AM -0700, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> > > From the better-late-than-sober dept.
> > > 
> > > ...there's also 'chvt' which allows directly targeting any virtual
> > > terminal:
> > > 
> > >     $ chvt 1
> > >     $ chvt 100
> 
> I showed an example of switching to the 100th virtual terminal just to
> show that it's possible to switch to a VT that can't be addressed in one
> keystroke (e.g.:  <F1>-<F12>.
> 
> In reality, most people will have fewer than 100 VTs.  My current
> session has 63 VTs, and this may be larger than what's compiled into the
> kernel by default (I believe it's a compilation setting).  A better
> example might show some lower, but useful, number.
> 
> The second issue is that, by default, there isn't much to see above the
> first half dozen or so VTs.  Default init runs a getty on VTs 1-6, and X
> usually grabs VT 7.  You can fill other consoles (I dump logging output
> to VT 12, for example), but you have to fill them -- there's nothing
> there by default.
> 
> I'll leave as an exercise to Will how to boil all this down to a
> meaningful newbie tip ;-)  I think the current one may be a bit
> misleading.
> 
> > -- 
> > DEBIAN NEWBIE TIP #89 from Karsten M. Self <kmself@ix.netcom.com>
> > :
> > HOSED YOUR X SESSION (but not the entire system)?  Try 'chvt'
> > which allows directly targeting any virtual terminal:
> >     $ chvt 1
> >     $ chvt 100
> > If you can still ssh in remotely, running 'chvt 1'
> > re-establishes your console on the box, or confirms that the
> > display is fuxnored.  (Try "apt-get install console-tools" to
> > get it.)

i think it's a Good Thing to show a newbie something that's
likely to be thinking outside the square (so to speak, or at
least expanding the default horizons) so that they'll have a new
concept to pursue now and then.

if you like, i can change the tip from "chvt 100" to "chvt 7" or
"chvt 39" if you like. (go ahead, be picky. it's your tip. :)

-- 
DEBIAN NEWBIE TIP #88 from Jesse Goerz <jgoerz@linuxfreemail.com>
:
Ever wondered WHAT DOCUMENTATION IS ON YOUR SYSTEM?                   
Ever wondered if there was an easy way to browse it?                  
	apt-get install dhelp
	dhelp
or for those running the testing distribution, try
doc-central as well.

Also see http://newbieDoc.sourceForge.net/ ...