Ubuntu high resolution console (3)

Enabled the high resolution console on Jaunty. I have always loved the way that a ultra wide console looks, it is almost a fetish I have.

Basically, it is the same as on Intrepid, except for one step; there is no '/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-framebuffer' file to configure on Jaunty, so you have to skip that one :)

Other than that, at least on the Alternate CD install I used to install it on Tango, the steps are the same than the ones described here Ubuntu high resolution console

Other posts related to this one:

- CentOS 5 console customization - Yeah, it's for CentOS, but somehow related
- Fight font uglyfication (console)
- Adventures in Ubuntu Land
- Of services & servers on Ubuntu

A Server install

Installed Ubuntu Server (8.10) on my beloved, and forgotten, Odin.
Making a "minimal install" took some 30 mins, and it uses less than 600 MB of the HDD; of course, it does not include Emacs! :p

The first thing after the install, get the high resolution console working!.
The default fugly resolution/font setup kills babies if you use it.

Ubuntu high resolution console (2)

Enabled the high resolution console on Tango today, it is exactly the same procedure that I did on Hardy, but this time on Intrepid.

The only thing different I had to do, is editing the '/etc/usplash.conf' file, and switched the resolutions from 800x600, to 1024x768. because the usplash (during booting only, mind you) was off centered.

This how the kernel line ended up on the '/boot/grub/menu.lst' file:

/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=0d25c207-41e3-4776-89d8-9c419595365f ro vga=791 quiet splash

Ubuntu high resolution console

(I like to post in one place all the necessary steps to enable the high resolution console on Ubuntu, I'm fed up fishing the different posts here :) )

Edit the file '/boot/grub/menu.lst' with the desired resolution as the 'vga' value, look for the line with the entry 'defoptions'.
A some how safe value, for modern monitors and laptops LCDs, might be 'defoptions=vga=791' which will give you a 1024x768 console.

After that execute:

sudo update-grub

This will re-generate the file '/boot/grub/menu.lst', you can check that the changes were made (they are made to ALL the kernels installed on the box)

Then, add 2 entries, a 'vesafb' and a 'fbcon' to the /etc/initramfs-tools/modules file, once edited, it has to be like this (there might be ohter entries on the file, leave them be!!):

## -----------------------------------------------
## High resolution console
vesafb
fbcon
## -----------------------------------------------

After that execute:

sudo update-initramfs -u

Then, in the file: '/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-framebuffer', comment the 'blacklist vesafb' entry; once edited, it has to be like this (there are other entries on the file, leave them like they are!!!):

## -----------------------------------------------
## High resolution console
## blacklist vesafb
## -----------------------------------------------

And, finally in the file '/etc/modules', add an 'vfesafb' entry, once edited, the file has to be like this (once again, there might be other entries on the file, leave them be!!!!!):

## -----------------------------------------------
## High resolution console
vesafb
## -----------------------------------------------

Then, after all that, if you want to, you can disable the GDM, so your box boots onto text mode, you can login as usual, and if you want to, issue:

startx

To start the full Gnome desktop as usual.

If you want to disable the graphical login, issue:

update-rc.d -f gdm remove

Other posts related to this one:

- CentOS 5 console customization - Yeah, it's for CentOS, but somehow related
- Fight font uglyfication (console)
- Adventures in Ubuntu Land
- Of services & servers on Ubuntu

EDIT - 08/02/2009
Corrected a few typos that got thru the first time

Update - 02/04/2009
Posted a procedure to do this on Jaunty Ubuntu high resolution console (3)

CentOS 5 console customization

(Actually, these should work on any other CentOS version as well :) )

Installed another minimal CentOS 5, this time, on Odin, my trusty Compaq 1200 povera beauty.
The install was amazinlgy fast, it took less than 10 minutes, mighty fast considering that the laptop has a Celeron @ 700 MHz with 300 MB of RAM.

These are a couple of thing I did after finishing the install, to make the box more confortable.

- Enable high resolution console :

As root, edit the file '/etc/grub.conf', and add 'vga=XXX' to the line that begins with kernel. On Odin, I have to use '788'.
Get other values here: VGA Boot modes to set screen resolution
I have read some reports that this does not work on CentOS 5, but I had no problems with the stock kernel from the CentOS 5 install CD (2.6.18-92.el5).


- Console font :

I don't like the default font -I don't like it at all, but that has nothing to do with CentOS per se, the default console font on all the distros I have used sucks-.
So I have set it up to use the console font I love, the same one I use on the Ubuntu's console.
As root, edit the file '/etc/sysconfig/i18n', and change:

SYSFONT="latarcyrheb-sun16"

to look like this

SYSFONT="Lat2-Terminus16"

To load the new font, as root again, issue:

/etc/init.d/functions start

This will load it only on the TTY you are executing it. After a reboot, it will load the new font on all the TTYs.
There are more fonts on the '/lib/kbd/consolefotns/' directory.


- Set cursor to a blinking block :

I love the prompt cursor to blink, and also, to be a blocky, massive thing, not the feable semi-hypen that it is by default.
Take a look at the Cursor Appearance in the Linux Console doc, to see what you can do.
On my case, to transform the default underscore blinking cursor onto a blinking block cursor, and to make it happen on all TTYs -even after a reboot- had to do this, once again, as the root user:

/bin/echo -e '\033[?6c' >> /etc/issue

Alternate CD Command Line Only install

Reinstalling Ubuntu (8.04) on orbis-tertius... Yeap, just once more...
But, this time will not install the server first, and then the Desktop, since I want to play with a full blown desktop, there is no point to it; besides, I want a clean slate to get the NVIDIA video card up & running.

For this one, I have used the Alternate CD, and I performed a "Command Line Only" install, the option to do such install on 8.04 is within the F4 key options.
Boot from the Alternate CD, press F4 key, labeled the "Modes" option, and then navigate with your keyboard to the "Command Line Only" and select it with an Enter; then press Esc to goto the main menu again, and select "Install Ubuntu" and press Enter.

Of services & servers on Ubuntu

That is, unneeded for my current Ubuntu setup/ laptop that it is really, really crappy in terms of hardware.
Disabled some of the services that start automatically on Odin, my Ubuntu power horse :)

sudo update-rc.d cupsys remove
sudo update-rc.d atd remove
sudo update-rc.d bluetooth remove
sudo update-rc.d hotkey-setup remove
sudo update-rc.d pppd-dns remove
sudo update-rc.d rsync remove

Also, at the moment I have disabled the run level 3 boot too on this Ubuntu 8.04 install.

It looks more and more like I'll be installing Ubuntu Server on Judith, I really like the fact that I can get a VESA high resolution console without the need to recompile the kernel on FreeBSD, no problem with that, but on Judith it will take for ever to do so.

Adventures in Ubuntu Land

For a stinking project at work, I need the Cisco VPN client, no matter what I tried, it was impossible to get it up & running on FreeBSD, and using vpnc I was unable to connect to the VPN concentrator at all. Of course, the VPN client for Os X didn't work either.
So, I decided to give Ubuntu a try, and installed on my Compaq Presario 1200. I haven't used it since the first release, called 'Hoary' IIRC, some years ago.
The only problem I'm having is with the external mouse, thru a PS/2 port, I can't get it to work, no matter what; while I was using FreeBSD -on the exact same laptop-, I was able to use it with no problem at all.

First off all, I wanted to boot onto RunLevel 3, I found out that Ubuntu does not use an /etc/inittab file to control that, so if you want to boot onto the console, issue this command:


update-rc.d -f gdm remove ENTER


After a reboot, you'll be at the console.

Then, I wanted to get high resolution console; something that I was already using on FreeBSD; this probed to be quite a PITA to setup.
After a lot of Googling, I found this thread on the Ubuntu Forums:
No console mode in high resolution with Ubuntu 7.10

On top of what the thread says, I had to edit the file "/boot/grub/menu.lst", and remove the option "splash" from the line 'defoptions', so the line ended up like this:


# defoptions=quiet vga=789


A couple of packages I installed (as a side note, I cant't believe that the default Ubuntu install doesn't turn on an iptables firewall!)


apt-get install openssh-server
apt-get install emacs-nox


Also, setup the Gnome desktop to reduce the memory/ CPU foot print:

Don't show the content of a window while dragging or resizing it:

gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/metacity/general/reduced_resources true

It transforms it onto a wire frame.

Turn off the tips (only works for the Applications, Places & System)

gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/panel/global/tooltips_enabled false



It doesn't speed the system up, but it sets things like they should be:

Set the Emacs keybindings globally on Gnome:

gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/gtk_key_theme Emacs --type string

(To revert, use --unset)