Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwvax!umn-d-ub!umn-cs!nis!pwcs!stag!syntel!dal
From: dal@syntel.mn.org (Dale Schumacher)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Virtual consoles (was: job control)
Summary: I have done it on the ST
Message-ID: <091089A6393@syntel.mn.org>
Date: 11 Oct 89 00:21:02 GMT
Reply-To: dal@syntel.mn.org (Dale Schumacher)
Lines: 23
X-Member-Of: STdNET (ST Developer's Network)

In article <3631@ast.cs.vu.nl> ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) writes:
> Personally, I think a far better and more elgant solution would be
> virtual screens. You simulate N terminals on one. When you hit
> ALT-n, the contents of the screen and replaced by that of terminal ,
> and the keyboard is attached to terminal n. In effect, you are
> timesharing the one screen into n windows. Again, the trick is
> localize everything so that there are no tentacles all over the
> place. It won't be easy. 

I mentioned this some 6-9 months ago, but nobody seemed to care at the
time.  I _HAVE_ implemented a virtual console scheme on the ST version
of Minix.  The interface is very simple, just CTRL+ALT+HOME to switch
to the next virtual console.  The number of consoles is compiled into
the kernel, and each needs it's own screen image, but it works great.
I didn't have much trouble controlling the "tentacle" problem.  In fact,
after discussing the design with Tony Andrews one evening, I wrote the
code and had it working the next day.

\\   /  Dale Schumacher                         399 Beacon Ave.
 \\ /   (alias: Dalnefre')                      St. Paul, MN  55104-3527
  ><    ...umn-cs!midgard.mn.org!syntel!dal     United States of America
 / \\   "What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out,
/   \\  which is the exact opposite." -Bertrand Russell