linux-kernel - Re: Multiple consoles

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Message-ID: <CAMuHMdUgScMhtoXonKeJmN1+jJQt_JT0V6Tk--yB-Z8q49rmHg@mail.gmail.com>
Date:	Mon, 9 Jan 2012 23:07:37 +0100
From:	Geert Uytterhoeven <geert@...ux-m68k.org>
To:	Phillip Susi <psusi@....rr.com>
Cc:	Greg KH <gregkh@...e.de>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	James Simmons <jsimmons@...radead.org>
Subject: Re: Multiple consoles

On Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 22:11, Phillip Susi <psusi@....rr.com> wrote:
> I was considering some questions I read about setting up a multi-seat system
> where you have two separate sets of displays, keyboards, mice, and X
> servers.  The problem someone noticed is that if you run the second X server
> on tty8, then you have to switch the console to tty8 to activate it, which
> disables the primary X server.
>
> It occurred to me that there ought to be an entirely separate set of virtual
> consoles bound to the second seat, and the second X server ought to run on
> one of those vcs.  Or of course, you could choose to log into the console
> and not bother with X.
>
> Looking at drivers/tty/vt/vt.c, it appears that it was written assuming that
> there is just one linux console.  It appears to use global variables for
> keeping track of which vc is active, etc, rather than creating one or more
> console devices, and store the vc multiplexing information in those devices.
>  So to fix this, vt.c and keyboard.c would need significantly refactored to
> remove the global variables and create a console device to bind vcs,
> keyboards, and displays to, and then you could create a second one if you
> wanted.
>
> Does this make sense or am I missing something?

The linux-console project tried to fix this (CC James added).

Gr{oetje,eeting}s,

                        Geert

--
Geert Uytterhoeven -- There's lots of Linux beyond ia32 -- geert@...ux-m68k.org

In personal conversations with technical people, I call myself a hacker. But
when I'm talking to journalists I just say "programmer" or something like that.
                                -- Linus Torvalds
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