Terminal flow control, noting errors during `apt-get install' (Was: Re: random comments and requests for information)

[karlheg@bittersweet.inetarena.com (Karl M. Hegbloom)]

>>>>> "Ross" == Ross Boylan <RossBoylan@stanfordalumni.org> writes:

    Ross> Third, is there a standard way to capture errors?  During
    Ross> most of the install things just sail by.

 Use the "terminal flow-control" keys to stop and start the output of
 `dpkg'.  `C-s' should stop the output, blocking the `dpkg' when it
 tries to print anything -- the OS stops it, blocked on IO.  `C-q'
 will start output again.  This is a feature of the terminal driver.
 It works for sure in `xterm', `gnome-terminal', and the Linux
 console.  On the Linux console, the `Scroll-Lock' key will work just
 as well as `C-s' `C-q'.

 So, you can stop it, then use `gpm'[1], or the middle mouse button in
 X, to highlight and paste into a running editor.


Footnotes: 
[1] `gpm' is the general purpose mouse; You can paste from one
    `Alt-Fn' Linux console to another with it.