If you want a custom resolution in Linux drm.edid_firmware= works well with the right EDID.
For me, the worst things about the Linux graphical console are lack of scrollback and horrible performance. Linux still has scrollback in VGA text mode, and of course it is super fast because each character is only 2 bytes. In graphics mode you can only fix this by running a program that provides its own graphical terminal, like kmscon or fbterm.
The best thing about the graphical console is ability to use bigger fonts, so your characters can be smooth and not pixelated. I like the Terminus fonts. As long as performance isn't a problem it's better to increase font size than to decrease the resolution.
Booted a Dell mini PC with debian, but without X11 and attached a video projector. The old StackOverflow answers to fix overscan problems failed to do anything. Editing sshd configuration files with the first six text columns off screen is quite a unique experience.
Yes, and I want FireWire. Oh, and I'd really prefer 16 bit real mode CPUs. While we're at it, why not go for support for serial connection mice?
This reads like such an arbitrary wish without a reasoning WHY you would want this. I'm sure OP has a reason for preferring it, but what makes the 80x25 superior in their opinion?
I think the author is making the argument for consistency.
I actually always disliked the modeset that the author remembers fondly, but it is always sad to lose part of our history for arbitrary reasons and especially so if it breaks a governed consistency.
To use your example: Real mode still exists and you can use it, and firewire is effectively the father of Thunderbolt (and granddaddy to Thunderbolt 3-4); so its removal really does feel unnecessary without additional context.
Serial mice is masochism, but people do dislike that PS/2 is gone, for good reasons.
One reason it could be nice is what I experienced a decade or so ago, the damn machine kept changing video modes during boot and the LCD couldn't keep up so an important screen was missed when diagnosing a boot issue.
Had to get a CRT to see what the hell was going on.
The author listed several reasons why they want it.
Also, it should still be possible to connect a serial mouse to a modern system thanks to adapters. I still have serial to PS/2 and PS/2 to USB adapters floating around in a tackle box.
While some people might not see the need for it, the author lists several reasons why it'd be nice to have. The article mentions that there are multiple old (and no longer working) workarounds and tricks that used to allow for 80x25 and presumably those existed and were shared online because others also wanted it.
I don't see why it shouldn't be possible? It seems like a reasonable thing to want to be able to change and even force resolutions to whatever your hardware will support, especially if there's a large amount of old software out there which expects a certain resolution. Old computers are very nice to have, but increasingly difficult to find and find working parts for. They also tend to come with some pretty big trade offs in terms of size, noise, and energy inefficiency. It'd mean a lot of less than ideal hardware just to get back something that people already had.
If you want a custom resolution in Linux drm.edid_firmware= works well with the right EDID.
For me, the worst things about the Linux graphical console are lack of scrollback and horrible performance. Linux still has scrollback in VGA text mode, and of course it is super fast because each character is only 2 bytes. In graphics mode you can only fix this by running a program that provides its own graphical terminal, like kmscon or fbterm.
The best thing about the graphical console is ability to use bigger fonts, so your characters can be smooth and not pixelated. I like the Terminus fonts. As long as performance isn't a problem it's better to increase font size than to decrease the resolution.
Booted a Dell mini PC with debian, but without X11 and attached a video projector. The old StackOverflow answers to fix overscan problems failed to do anything. Editing sshd configuration files with the first six text columns off screen is quite a unique experience.
Yes, and I want FireWire. Oh, and I'd really prefer 16 bit real mode CPUs. While we're at it, why not go for support for serial connection mice?
This reads like such an arbitrary wish without a reasoning WHY you would want this. I'm sure OP has a reason for preferring it, but what makes the 80x25 superior in their opinion?
I think the author is making the argument for consistency.
I actually always disliked the modeset that the author remembers fondly, but it is always sad to lose part of our history for arbitrary reasons and especially so if it breaks a governed consistency.
To use your example: Real mode still exists and you can use it, and firewire is effectively the father of Thunderbolt (and granddaddy to Thunderbolt 3-4); so its removal really does feel unnecessary without additional context.
Serial mice is masochism, but people do dislike that PS/2 is gone, for good reasons.
One reason it could be nice is what I experienced a decade or so ago, the damn machine kept changing video modes during boot and the LCD couldn't keep up so an important screen was missed when diagnosing a boot issue.
Had to get a CRT to see what the hell was going on.
The author listed several reasons why they want it.
Also, it should still be possible to connect a serial mouse to a modern system thanks to adapters. I still have serial to PS/2 and PS/2 to USB adapters floating around in a tackle box.
While some people might not see the need for it, the author lists several reasons why it'd be nice to have. The article mentions that there are multiple old (and no longer working) workarounds and tricks that used to allow for 80x25 and presumably those existed and were shared online because others also wanted it.
I don't see why it shouldn't be possible? It seems like a reasonable thing to want to be able to change and even force resolutions to whatever your hardware will support, especially if there's a large amount of old software out there which expects a certain resolution. Old computers are very nice to have, but increasingly difficult to find and find working parts for. They also tend to come with some pretty big trade offs in terms of size, noise, and energy inefficiency. It'd mean a lot of less than ideal hardware just to get back something that people already had.
You can still have a console on a serial port with a dumb terminal. Plenty of SFF PCs have them via RJ45 ports.
Getting an old machine is the way. I can’t think of why I would want this and I’m old so I don’t think it’s coming back.