Re: [Linux-fbdev-users] How many colors?

[gavron <cg...@op...>]

On Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 08:57:50PM EDT, Antonino A. Daplas wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-08-31 at 19:47 -0400, gavron wrote:
> > I was wondering if there was any way I could get 256 colors - or more ..
> > when running ncurses applications on a linux console with the frame
> > buffer enabled.  There are a few applications that greatly benefit from
> > this enhancement such as mutt, vim, ELinks .. and I was wondering if
> > this is possible when not running in an xterm under xorg. 
> 
> No it's not possible under the linux console.  The linux console
> supports 16-colors only and changing this to support 256-colors will
> entail a massive rewrite of the console code.
> 
> Even a 32bpp framebuffer is stuck with a 16-color console.
> 
> > 
> > Maybe I need to run a terminal emulator that supports more than 16
> > colors rather than the standard linux console?
> > 
> 
> Yes, you will basically need a new terminal emulator, one that basically
> re-implements the kernel console code.

Thanks for your comments and sorry about the delay.

I think I tried a couple of terminal emulators in the past and I think
neither supported more than the usual 8-16 colors.

I guess I'll just have to maintain separate configurations depending on
whether I'm running on a 256-color xterm or the console.

Thanks,
cga.