linux-kernel - Re: console font limits

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Date:	Thu, 3 May 2007 16:26:55 +0200 (MEST)
From:	Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@...ux01.gwdg.de>
To:	Albert Cahalan <acahalan@...il.com>
cc:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>,
	"Antonino A. Daplas" <adaplas@...il.com>,
	Geert Uytterhoeven <geert@...ux-m68k.org>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, aeb@....nl
Subject: Re: console font limits


On May 3 2007 10:14, Albert Cahalan wrote:
> On 5/3/07, Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@...ux01.gwdg.de> wrote:
>> On May 3 2007 02:17, Albert Cahalan wrote:
>
>> > Those sizes are unreadable on the 200 dpi OLPC XO screen,
>> 
>> Hm that should have read, for you:
>> I don't object implementing support for larger sizes.
>> (But I wonder how that should work without FB/CVIDIX/SVGA/VESA
>> extensions.)
>> 
>> Note that I was assuming that no FB is used:
>
> I'm assuming that the FB is used. Neither of my two
> computers can do VGA text mode.

Some non-x86 boxes like sparc?

> Even for computers
> which can do VGA text mode, if you want large fonts
> (either by number of characters or by character width)
> you need to use FB. That's just a requirement; anything
> else would be insane.
>
>> For everything beyond Latin, fbiterm should work a lot better.
>
> Then, as with X, you have problems with kernel messages.
> Reliably sending printk through a userspace console is not
> even possible. (consider a panic, OOM, or runaway RT task)

Actually, the kernel could just "jump in". That is, when you start
in fb mode, you get the regular 8x16 vga font - on your choice of
resolution, and can also set it with setfont. So far so nice.
Now, when you start fbiterm -- for example to read CJK --, fbiterm
presents you with what looks like a 12x24 font. Also good.
It _looks_ to me like fbiterm does the drawing itself; ok too.
Now when the kernel is oopsing, it could just spew out the oops
trace in the regular font (vga8x16 or in case you use CONFIG_FONTS,
then that), possibly obstructing some output generated by fbiterm,
but in case of oops, I think this is ok.



Jan
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