restore console display and vt status (was: Re: xfig with X386)

[Thomas Hoberg]

In article <1991May9.142835.3424 at cti-software.nl>, pim at cti-software.nl (Pim Zandbergen) writes:
|> In article <1991Apr14.140430.23712 at metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> dawes at suphys.physics.su.OZ.AU (David Dawes) writes:
|> <I've had a problem with xfig causing the X386 server to crash.  This happens
[...]
|> 
|> It is rather annoying when ones display is stuck in graphics
|> mode and/or vt's are left in an insane state. This can also
|> happen if VP/ix dies.
|> 
|> If a curses application dies, you can get back to a sane state
|> by typing 'stty sane' or 'stty $oldsttysettings' if you've saved
|> them.
|> 
|> Has anyone written a program that does a similar thing to your
|> console display and vt's ? I hate typing 'init 6' blindly.

I once wrote a tiny little program, that used the ioctls defined in
/usr/include/sys/kd.h to switch video modes on my VGA. ISC's 'loadfont -m <mode>'
will do the same. The VGA contains a *lot* of registers though, and I have had
situations, where not even the ioctls would get me a standing picture any more.
Microport's System V/286 used to have a hot key sequence in it's DOS Merge kernel
wich would cycle through all available video modes (it was needed, too).
Sorry I don't have the program here...

|> -- 
|> Pim Zandbergen                          domain : pim at cti-software.nl
|> CTI Software BV                         uucp   : uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!ctisbv!pim
|> Laan Copes van Cattenburch 70           phone  : +31 70 3542302
|> 2585 GD The Hague, The Netherlands      fax    : +31 70 3512837

-- tom
----
Thomas M. Hoberg   | UUCP: tmh at gmdtub.first.gmd.de  or  tmh%gmdtub at tub.UUCP
c/o GMD Berlin     |       ...!unido!tub!gmdtub!tmh (Europe) or
D-1000 Berlin 12   |       ...!unido!tub!tmh
Hardenbergplatz 2  |       ...!pyramid!tub!tmh (World)
Germany            | BITNET: tmh%DB0TUI6.BITNET at DB0TUI11 or
+49-30-254 99 160  |         tmh at tub.BITNET