Re: [Linux-fbdev-users] fbset doesn't change resolution for all consoles

[Antonino A. D. <ad...@ho...>]

On Wednesday 27 April 2005 04:42, James Simmons wrote:
> > > Matrox g450 support built into the kernel as well as fbcon. Standing
> > > on a console I try running "fbset -a resolution" or "fbset
> > > --all resolution" where resolution is one of the modes listed
> > > in /etc/fb.modes. However, only the current console's resolution
> > > is changed.
> > >
> > > Is this a bug in fbset? Is there any new version of this software? I
> > > remember using fbset on a 2.4.x kernel with the same video card
> > > without problems.
> >
> > Not a bug in fbset, but is due to changes in fbcon code from 2.4->2.6.
> > Now, only the visible console will respond to fbset requests.
> >
> > I'll see what I can do about this bug.
>
> This was done because sometimes the user entered a bad mode which the
> driver could not handle. As a result all the VCs went blank and became
> useless. The only fix was to reboot the box.
>

One of the reasons why /dev/fb should be root-access only.

Anyway, if that happens, one can always blindly type fbset commands that
can restore the fb console. And if incorrectly using fbset renders the
console permanently useless that the only fix is to reboot the box, then it
doesn't really matter if one uses fbset with or without the  '--all'
argument.

Tony