console-only freebsd

[Ian Smith]

On Sat, 7 Oct 2017 16:37:10 +0200, Polytropon wrote:
 > On Sat, 7 Oct 2017 15:20:19 +0100, tech-lists wrote:
 > > I have a freebsd 11-stable installation on a (gutless) netbook. What I'd like 
 > > is full functionality via the console[1]. One of the things it needs is some 
 > > graphics capability but without xorg. So I'm thinking, svga or libSDL. 
 > > For example, let's say to view a jpg file. If this is possible from the console, 
 > > what program or port would one use to view a gif or jpg file?
 > 
 > Maybe something svgalib-based? With the new console "vt", you
 > basically are in graphics mode all the time, there is no text
 > mode anymore (that was "sc"). I know there was an image
 > viewer called zgv (console) + xzgv (X), with version 0.8_9
 > being the last usable version (prior to the "library shift"),
 > but this probably isn't being maintained anymore...
 > 
 > Still you might be successful finding a viewer that can
 > directly interface with the "vt" graphics mode...

You'd earlier said that you couldn't use sc anymore as you couldn't get 
X to work with it - that it lost video when quitting X or switching to 
vtys from X, which presumably is still an issue.

But since tech-lists specifically doesn't intend running X, is there any 
other reason to avoid still using sc(4)?  It's still optional, isn't it?

 > > [1] by console, I mean the consoles accessed via alt-f1 to alt-f7 [2]
 > > [2] can the number of consoles be increased?
 > 
 > Yes. Edit /etc/ttys to spawn more gettys. See "man 5 ttys"
 > for details.

cheers, Ian