The Linux Console is a very powerfool tool, but it requires some knowledge and experience to get used to.
You must destinct between a real console, that runs in full-screen mode, from a console simulation that runs under X Window System (xterm or KDE Konsole). This article is going to describe customization of a real console.
You may want to work with openSUSE, but without graphical user interface, in pure text-mode. The reasons to switch to text-mode may differ: from nostalgic, to learning Linux to save some CPU cycles and RAM.
To switch there, you can use: “Ctrl+Alt+F1...F6” for six different console sessions, available by default. To go back to GUI mode use: “Ctrl+Alt+F7”.
On the real console, you can change resolution via VGA BIOS modes. Since BIOS is only accessible from 16-bit mode, it must be set up before the Linux kernel loads, on the boot loader stage.
localhost:/ # cat /boot/grub/menu.lst | grep kernel kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18.2-34-default root=/dev/hdd3 vga=0x317 resume=/dev/hdd11 splash=silent showopts ... output omitted
As you see here, after the kernel file, the kernel parameter starts. You see something like: “vga=0x317” which is the VGA mode.
Below you see a table of different VGA modes, so you can modify the file according to your taste:
FRAMEBUFFER RESOLUTION SETTINGS # +-------------------------------------------------+ # | 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024 # ----+-------------------------------------------- # 256 | 0x301=769 0x303=771 0x305=773 0x307=775 # 32K | 0x310=784 0x313=787 0x316=790 0x319=793 # 64K | 0x311=785 0x314=788 0x317=791 0x31A=794 # 16M | 0x312=786 0x315=789 0x318=792 0x31B=795 # +-------------------------------------------------+
Also you can remove this parameter or make it “vga=0” so it will start like a real DOS mode, with 80x25 character resolution. Alternatively set it to: “vga=ask” so the computer will ask you every time on boot which VGA mode to use.
To scroll console up/down use: “Shift+Page Up” and “Shift+Page Down”.
WARNING: This will work as long as you are on the same console. If you switch, your scrolling history will be lost.