xref: /freebsd/share/man/man4/vt.4 (revision f4b37ed0f8b307b1f3f0f630ca725d68f1dff30d)
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25.\" $FreeBSD$
26.\"
27.Dd October 20, 2014
28.Dt "VIRTUAL TERMINALS" 4
29.Os
30.Sh NAME
31.Nm vt
32.Nd virtual terminal console driver
33.Sh SYNOPSIS
34.Cd "options TERMINAL_KERN_ATTR=_attribute_"
35.Cd "options TERMINAL_NORM_ATTR=_attribute_"
36.Cd "options VT_MAXWINDOWS=N"
37.Cd "options VT_ALT_TO_ESC_HACK=1"
38.Cd "options VT_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE"
39.Cd "options VT_FB_DEFAULT_WIDTH=X"
40.Cd "options VT_FB_DEFAULT_HEIGHT=Y"
41.Cd "options SC_NO_CUTPASTE"
42.Cd "device vt"
43.Pp
44In
45.Xr loader.conf 5 :
46.Cd hw.vga.textmode=1
47.Cd kern.vty=vt
48.Cd kern.vt.fb.default_mode="<X>x<Y>"
49.Cd kern.vt.fb.modes.<connector>="<X>x<Y>"
50.Pp
51In
52.Xr loader.conf 5 or
53.Xr sysctl.conf 5 :
54.Cd kern.vt.kbd_halt=1
55.Cd kern.vt.kbd_poweroff=1
56.Cd kern.vt.kbd_reboot=1
57.Cd kern.vt.kbd_debug=1
58.Cd kern.vt.kbd_panic=0
59.Sh DESCRIPTION
60The
61.Nm
62device provides multiple virtual terminals with an extensive feature
63set:
64.Bl -item -offset indent
65.It
66Unicode UTF-8 text with double-width characters.
67.It
68Large font maps in graphics mode, including support for Asian
69character sets.
70.It
71Graphics-mode consoles.
72.It
73Integration with
74KMS
75.Pq Kernel Mode Setting
76video drivers for switching between the
77.Em X Window System
78and virtual terminals.
79.El
80.Ss Virtual Terminals
81Multiple virtual terminals are provided on a single computer.
82Up to sixteen virtual terminals can be defined.
83A single virtual terminal is connected to the screen and keyboard
84at a time.
85Key combinations are used to select a virtual terminal.
86Alt-F1 through Alt-F12 correspond to the first twelve virtual terminals.
87If more than twelve virtual terminals are created, Shift-Alt-F1 through
88Shift-Alt-F4 are used to switch to the additional terminals.
89.Ss Copying and Pasting Text with a Mouse
90Copying and pasting text from the screen with a mouse is supported.
91Press and hold down mouse button 1, usually the left button, while
92moving the mouse to select text.
93Selected text is highlighted with reversed foreground and background
94colors.
95To select more text after releasing mouse button 1, press mouse button
963, usually the right button.
97To paste text that has been selected, press mouse button 2, usually the
98middle button.
99The text is entered as if it were typed at the keyboard.
100The
101.Dv VT_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE
102kernel option can be used with mice that only have two buttons.
103Setting this option makes the second mouse button into the
104paste button.
105See
106.Xr moused 8
107for more information.
108.Ss Scrolling Back
109Output that has scrolled off the screen can be reviewed by pressing the
110Scroll Lock key, then scrolling up and down with the arrow keys.
111The Page Up and Page Down keys scroll up or down a full screen at a
112time.
113The Home and End keys jump to the beginning or end of the scrollback
114buffer.
115When finished reviewing, press the Scroll Lock key again to return to
116normal use.
117.Sh DRIVER CONFIGURATION
118.Ss Kernel Configuration Options
119These kernel options control the
120.Nm
121driver.
122.Bl -tag -width MAXCONS
123.It Dv TERMINAL_NORM_ATTR= Ns Pa attribute
124.It Dv TERMINAL_KERN_ATTR= Ns Pa attribute
125These options allow changing the default colors used for normal and kernel
126text.
127Available colors are defined in
128.In sys/terminal.h .
129See
130.Sx EXAMPLES
131below.
132.It Dv VT_MAXWINDOWS=N
133Set the number of virtual terminals to be created to
134.Fa N .
135The value defaults to 12.
136.It Dv VT_ALT_TO_ESC_HACK=1
137When the Alt key is held down while pressing another key, send an ESC
138sequence instead of the Alt key.
139.It Dv VT_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE
140If defined, swap the functions of mouse buttons 2 and 3.
141In effect, this makes the right-hand mouse button perform a paste.
142These options are checked in the order shown.
143.It Dv SC_NO_CUTPASTE
144Disable mouse support.
145.It VT_FB_DEFAULT_WIDTH=X
146Set the default width to
147.Fa X .
148.It VT_FB_DEFAULT_HEIGHT=Y
149Set the default height to
150.Fa Y .
151.El
152.Sh BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY
153Several options are provided for compatibility with the previous
154console device,
155.Xr sc 4 .
156These options will be removed in a future
157.Fx
158version.
159.Bl -column -offset indent ".Sy vt VT_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE" ".Sy SC_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE"
160.It Sy vt Option Name Ta Sy sc Option Name
161.It Dv TERMINAL_KERN_ATTR Ta Dv SC_KERNEL_CONS_ATTR
162.It Dv TERMINAL_NORM_ATTR Ta Dv SC_NORM_ATTR
163.It Dv VT_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE Ta Dv SC_TWOBUTTON_MOUSE
164.It Dv VT_MAXWINDOWS Ta Dv MAXCONS
165.It none Ta Dv SC_NO_CUTPASTE
166.El
167.Sh START-UP OPERATION WITH X86 BIOS SYSTEMS
168The computer BIOS starts in text mode, and
169the
170.Fx
171.Xr loader 8
172runs, loading the kernel.
173If
174.Va hw.vga.textmode
175is set, the system remains in text mode.
176Otherwise,
177.Nm
178switches to 640x480x16 VGA mode using
179.Cm vt_vga .
180If a KMS
181.Pq Kernel Mode Setting
182video driver is available, the display is switched to high resolution
183and the KMS driver takes over.
184When a KMS driver is not available,
185.Cm vt_vga
186remains active.
187.Sh LOADER TUNABLES
188These settings can be entered at the
189.Xr loader 8
190prompt or in
191.Xr loader.conf 5 .
192.Bl -tag -width indent
193.It Va hw.vga.textmode
194Set to 1 to use virtual terminals in text mode instead of graphics mode.
195Features that require graphics mode, like loadable fonts, will be
196disabled.
197.It Va kern.vty
198Set this value to
199.Ql vt
200or
201.Ql sc
202to override the default driver used for the system console.
203By default,
204.Xr sc 4
205is used on computers that boot from BIOS, and
206.Nm
207is used on computers that boot from UEFI.
208.It Va kern.vt.fb.default_mode
209Set this value to a graphic mode to override the default mode picked by the
210.Nm
211backend.
212The mode is applied to all output connectors.
213This is currently only supported by the
214.Cm vt_fb
215backend when it's paired with a KMS video driver.
216.It Va kern.vt.fb.modes. Ns Pa connector_name
217Set this value to a graphic mode to override the default mode picked by the
218.Nm
219backend.
220This mode is applied to the output connector
221.Pa connector_name
222only. It has precedence over
223.Va kern.vt.fb.default_mode .
224The names of available connector names can be found in
225.Xr dmesg 8
226after loading the KMS driver.
227It will contain a list of connectors and their associated tunables.
228This is currently only supported by the
229.Cm vt_fb
230backend when it's paired with a KMS video driver.
231.El
232.Sh KEYBOARD SYSCTL TUNABLES
233These settings control whether certain special key combinations are enabled or
234ignored.
235The specific key combinations can be configured by using a
236.Xr keymap 5
237file.
238.Pp
239These settings can be entered at the
240.Xr loader 8
241prompt or in
242.Xr loader.conf 5
243and can also be changed at runtime with the
244.Xr sysctl 8
245command.
246.Bl -tag -width indent
247.It Va kern.vt.kbd_halt
248Enable halt keyboard combination.
249.It Va kern.vt.kbd_poweroff
250Enable power off key combination.
251.It Va kern.vt.kbd_reboot.
252Enable reboot key combination, usually Ctrl+Alt+Del.
253.It Va kern.vt.kbd_debug
254Enable debug request key combination, usually Ctrl+Alt+Esc.
255.It Va kern.vt.kbd_panic
256Enable panic key combination.
257.El
258.Sh FILES
259.Bl -tag -width /usr/share/vt/keymaps/* -compact
260.It Pa /dev/console
261.It Pa /dev/consolectl
262.It Pa /dev/ttyv*
263virtual terminals
264.It Pa /etc/ttys
265terminal initialization information
266.It Pa /usr/share/vt/fonts/*.fnt
267console fonts
268.It Pa /usr/share/vt/keymaps/*.kbd
269keyboard layouts
270.El
271.Sh EXAMPLES
272This example changes the default color of normal text to green on a
273black background, or black on a green background when reversed.
274Note that white space cannot be used inside the attribute string
275because of the current implementation of
276.Xr config 8 .
277.Pp
278.Dl "options TERMINAL_NORM_ATTR=(FG_GREEN|BG_BLACK)"
279.Pp
280This line changes the default color of kernel messages to be bright red
281on a black background, or black on a bright red background when reversed.
282.Pp
283.Dl "options TERMINAL_KERN_ATTR=(FG_LIGHTRED|BG_BLACK)"
284.Pp
285To set a 1024x768 mode on all output connectors, put the following line in
286.Pa /boot/loader.conf :
287.Pp
288.Dl kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1024x768"
289.Pp
290To set a 800x600 only on a laptop builtin screen, use the following line instead:
291.Pp
292.Dl kern.vt.fb.modes.LVDS-1="800x600"
293.Pp
294The connector name was found in
295.Xr dmesg 8 :
296.Pp
297.Dl info: [drm] Connector LVDS-1: get mode from tunables:
298.Dl info: [drm]   - kern.vt.fb.modes.LVDS-1
299.Dl info: [drm]   - kern.vt.fb.default_mode
300.Sh SEE ALSO
301.Xr kbdcontrol 1 ,
302.Xr login 1 ,
303.Xr vidcontrol 1 ,
304.Xr atkbd 4 ,
305.Xr atkbdc 4 ,
306.Xr keyboard 4 ,
307.Xr screen 4 ,
308.Xr splash 4 ,
309.Xr syscons 4 ,
310.Xr ukbd 4 ,
311.Xr kbdmap 5 ,
312.Xr rc.conf 5 ,
313.Xr ttys 5 ,
314.Xr config 8 ,
315.Xr getty 8 ,
316.Xr kbdmux 8 ,
317.Xr kldload 8 ,
318.Xr moused 8 ,
319.Xr vtfontcvt 8
320.Sh HISTORY
321The
322.Nm
323driver first appeared in
324.Fx 9.3 .
325.Sh AUTHORS
326.An -nosplit
327The
328.Nm
329device driver was developed by
330.An Ed Schouten Aq Mt ed@FreeBSD.org ,
331.An Ed Maste Aq Mt emaste@FreeBSD.org ,
332and
333.An Aleksandr Rybalko Aq Mt ray@FreeBSD.org ,
334with sponsorship provided by the
335.Fx
336Foundation.
337This manual page was written by
338.An Warren Block Aq Mt wblock@FreeBSD.org .
339.Sh CAVEATS
340Paste buffer size is limited by the system value
341.Brq Dv MAX_INPUT ,
342the number of bytes that can be stored in the terminal
343input queue, usually 1024 bytes
344(see
345.Xr termios 4 ) .
346