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)