Non-X text mode console

[Chris Snook]

sean darcy wrote:
> David A. Wheeler wrote:
>> I routinely use text mode console without X, for a
>> variety of reasons.  For example:
>> * I have a number of systems (servers) at runlevel 3
>> * console is critically important when X fails. "Log in with ssh"
>>   doesn't work when ssh or the network fails.
> 
> Have I missed something...big? If I can't ssh into those boxes, can't I 
> have someone just use the console in person? Some of these boxes are 
> ooold - 600mhz 256mb, which BTW, works superbly at runlevel 3. X would 
> be a real strain, and is generally not even installed.
> 
> Tell me it ain't so.
> 
> sean
> 

It ain't so.  This is a gross misunderstanding of the fact that we're moving to 
using a kernel framebuffer by default, like some distros did almost a decade 
ago.  And you can opt out with 'nomodeset' on the boot command line, to get the 
old vga BIOS framebuffer.

-- Chris