NAME

       resizecons - change kernel idea of the console size

SYNOPSIS

       resizecons COLSxROWS
       resizecons -lines ROWS

DESCRIPTION

       The  resizecons command tries to change the videomode of the console.  There are several aspects to this:
       (a) the kernel must know about it, (b) the hardware must know about it, (c) user programs must know about
       it, (d) the console font may have to be adapted.

       (a) The kernel is told about the change using the ioctl VT_RESIZE.  This causes the kernel to  reallocate
       console  screen  memory for all virtual consoles, and might fail if there is not enough memory.  (In that
       case, try to disallocate some virtual consoles first.)  If this ioctl succeeds, but a  later  step  fails
       (e.g., because you do not have root permissions), you may be left with a very messy screen.

       The  most difficult part of this is (b), since it requires detailed knowledge of the video card hardware,
       and the setting of numerous registers.  Only  changing  the  number  of  rows  is  slightly  easier,  and
       resizecons  will  try to do that itself, when given the -lines option. (Probably, root permission will be
       required.)  The command resizecons  COLSxROWS  will  execute  restoretextmode  -r  COLSxROWS  (and  hence
       requires  that  you  have  svgalib  installed).  Here  COLSxROWS  is  a  file that was created earlier by
       restoretextmode -w COLSxROWS.  Again, either root permissions are required, or restoretextmode has to  be
       suid root.

       In  order  to deal with (c), resizecons does a `stty rows ROWS cols COLS' for each active console (in the
       range tty0..tty15), and sends a SIGWINCH signal to selection if it finds the file /tmp/selection.pid.

       Finally, (d) is dealt with by executing a setfont command. Most likely, the wrong font is loaded, and you
       may want to do another setfont yourself afterwards.

BUGS

       resizecons does not work on all hardware.  For example, it cannot be used on platforms other than x86 and
       x86_64.  See the fbset(1) program if you are looking for an alternative.

       This command used to be called resize, but was renamed to avoid conflict with another  command  with  the
       same name.

SEE ALSO

       setfont(8), stty(1), selection(1), restoretextmode(8), deallocvt(8), fbset(1)

kbd                                                17 Jan 1995                                     RESIZECONS(8)