NBCON Console Patches Updated For Eventually Unblocking Real-Time Linux Kernel

[binarybanana]

Damn, I didn't realize this was removed upstream. I just assumed it was some local config issue or even distro bs in some of the recent installations. Are there any alternatives for this use-case with other framebuffer drivers or modules?

There used to be a patch adding it back in. Not sure it still works or if it's maintained. Yes, it sucks. Alternatives are adding something like tmux to initrd and routing the console through that. There's also kmscon, not sure how well that one works.

[caligula]

But my console still have ugly colors. Why doesn't it have pretty colors?
Why cant I use the scroll wheel on my mouse to scroll the buffer up and down?
Why is there no way to use my mouse to select text to copy so it?
Why is there background? I would like a dark background with a very subtle pattern.

None of that crap should be located in the kernel.

[caligula]

There used to be a patch adding it back in. Not sure it still works or if it's maintained. Yes, it sucks. Alternatives are adding something like tmux to initrd and routing the console through that. There's also kmscon, not sure how well that one works.

Why do you need that? You have dmesg, journalctl, remote / serial logging, and a multitude of remote admin apps.

[uid313]

None of that crap should be located in the kernel.

Yeah, maybe I don't need TrueType fonts, mouse and background. But I have high resolution, so I think I could at least get some pretty colors.

[billyswong]

Why do you need that? You have dmesg, journalctl, remote / serial logging, and a multitude of remote admin apps.

Remote logging requires a 2nd machine connected to the intranet. It also requires the computer in problem get a working network interface. For serial logging... do we still have that by default? I mean both the hardware port, cable, receivers etc and the software support. Some googling say serial console is not compiled in the Linux kernel by default.

[binarybanana]

Why do you need that? You have dmesg, journalctl, remote / serial logging, and a multitude of remote admin apps.

Not all messages printed during boot appear in dmesg or regular logs. It's also not just about booting, but usability of the console in general.

[caligula]

Not all messages printed during boot appear in dmesg or regular logs. It's also not just about booting, but usability of the console in general.

For most users the boot process only takes a second or two after BIOS POST. Monitors can also be very slow at switching between resolutions. Sometimes so slow that nothing will be visible during the boot. So good look reading those lines. Yea agreed, if your GPU drivers fail at boot time or something similar, it can be useful. But sometimes it's also possible to boot using a rescue USB media and read the logs from there.

[arQon]

Yes, it sucks.

Yeah, it does - I was astonished when it was accepted, which is probably a good indication of how desperate people are for getting RT support finished.
Literally just yesterday I had a server that was hanging at boot, and the error I needed was like 10 lines offscreen on a VT with no way to get to a prompt/logs and no @#$%ing scrollback to see it. sigh...

[binarybanana]

Yeah, it does - I was astonished when it was accepted, which is probably a good indication of how desperate people are for getting RT support finished.
Literally just yesterday I had a server that was hanging at boot, and the error I needed was like 10 lines offscreen on a VT with no way to get to a prompt/logs and no @#$%ing scrollback to see it. sigh...

If you can time it correctly, sending a "Scroll Lock" key event (through virtual KVM/rescue console or whatever) should stop scrolling and let you read the message. But yes, this is exactly why it sucks not to have scroll back.