As you know, the default character set of the standard Linux text mode
console is ISO-8859-1. One can switch to some other charset by loading a
font together with its Screen Font Map (SFM), loading an
Application-Charset Map (ACM) and activating it by emitting `^[(K' to the
console.
But many people want something other than ISO-8859-1. The font, SFM and
ACM survive almost everything - they remain the same until loading the new
ones. The only problem is that to make the custom ACM active, somebody has
to output `^[(K'. Resetting the terminal with ^[c or logging out brings
ISO-8859-1 back. And there is no good place for the `^[(K'!
Partial solutions are: echo -ne '\033(K' in /etc/profile and appending
\E(K to every \Ec in terminfo entries for current terminal. But some
programs can still reset the terminal with ^[c instead of looking at
terminfo. Logging out reverts to ISO-8859-1 even after fixing terminfo
(and thus echoing ^[(K in /etc/profile is needed).
I think it would be better and easier if ^[c could leave custom ACM
active. Or simply _set_ it active. And if the default content of custom
ACM was ISO-8859-1, the standard behavior would be the same as it is now
(default would be still ISO-8859-1), but this default could easily be
changed to any other charset.
The only problem I could see is that it would break the old and documented
rules, which say that resetting the console changes the charset back to
ISO-8859-1. It's not simply a bugfix - it's a change of some rules. But
any other sensible solution, i.e. hacking terminfo, breaks these rules as
well - only on a different level. So I think it is not a real problem.
The change is very simple. Here is the patch for the 2.1.76 kernel:
--- linux/drivers/char/console.c.orig Fri Dec 26 13:36:37 1997
+++ linux/drivers/char/console.c Fri Dec 26 13:55:58 1997
@@ -1227,8 +1227,8 @@
bottom = video_num_lines;
vc_state = ESnormal;
ques = 0;
- translate = set_translate(LAT1_MAP);
- G0_charset = LAT1_MAP;
+ translate = set_translate(USER_MAP);
+ G0_charset = USER_MAP;
G1_charset = GRAF_MAP;
charset = 0;
need_wrap = 0;
--- linux/drivers/char/consolemap.c.orig Tue Aug 12 02:28:19 1997
+++ linux/drivers/char/consolemap.c Fri Dec 26 13:57:12 1997
@@ -121,40 +121,40 @@
0x2261, 0x00b1, 0x2265, 0x2264, 0x2320, 0x2321, 0x00f7, 0x2248,
0x00b0, 0x2219, 0x00b7, 0x221a, 0x207f, 0x00b2, 0x25a0, 0x00a0
},
- /* User mapping -- default to codes for direct font mapping */
+ /* User mapping -- default to Latin-1 */
{
- 0xf000, 0xf001, 0xf002, 0xf003, 0xf004, 0xf005, 0xf006, 0xf007,
- 0xf008, 0xf009, 0xf00a, 0xf00b, 0xf00c, 0xf00d, 0xf00e, 0xf00f,
- 0xf010, 0xf011, 0xf012, 0xf013, 0xf014, 0xf015, 0xf016, 0xf017,
- 0xf018, 0xf019, 0xf01a, 0xf01b, 0xf01c, 0xf01d, 0xf01e, 0xf01f,
- 0xf020, 0xf021, 0xf022, 0xf023, 0xf024, 0xf025, 0xf026, 0xf027,
- 0xf028, 0xf029, 0xf02a, 0xf02b, 0xf02c, 0xf02d, 0xf02e, 0xf02f,
- 0xf030, 0xf031, 0xf032, 0xf033, 0xf034, 0xf035, 0xf036, 0xf037,
- 0xf038, 0xf039, 0xf03a, 0xf03b, 0xf03c, 0xf03d, 0xf03e, 0xf03f,
- 0xf040, 0xf041, 0xf042, 0xf043, 0xf044, 0xf045, 0xf046, 0xf047,
- 0xf048, 0xf049, 0xf04a, 0xf04b, 0xf04c, 0xf04d, 0xf04e, 0xf04f,
- 0xf050, 0xf051, 0xf052, 0xf053, 0xf054, 0xf055, 0xf056, 0xf057,
- 0xf058, 0xf059, 0xf05a, 0xf05b, 0xf05c, 0xf05d, 0xf05e, 0xf05f,
- 0xf060, 0xf061, 0xf062, 0xf063, 0xf064, 0xf065, 0xf066, 0xf067,
- 0xf068, 0xf069, 0xf06a, 0xf06b, 0xf06c, 0xf06d, 0xf06e, 0xf06f,
- 0xf070, 0xf071, 0xf072, 0xf073, 0xf074, 0xf075, 0xf076, 0xf077,
- 0xf078, 0xf079, 0xf07a, 0xf07b, 0xf07c, 0xf07d, 0xf07e, 0xf07f,
- 0xf080, 0xf081, 0xf082, 0xf083, 0xf084, 0xf085, 0xf086, 0xf087,
- 0xf088, 0xf089, 0xf08a, 0xf08b, 0xf08c, 0xf08d, 0xf08e, 0xf08f,
- 0xf090, 0xf091, 0xf092, 0xf093, 0xf094, 0xf095, 0xf096, 0xf097,
- 0xf098, 0xf099, 0xf09a, 0xf09b, 0xf09c, 0xf09d, 0xf09e, 0xf09f,
- 0xf0a0, 0xf0a1, 0xf0a2, 0xf0a3, 0xf0a4, 0xf0a5, 0xf0a6, 0xf0a7,
- 0xf0a8, 0xf0a9, 0xf0aa, 0xf0ab, 0xf0ac, 0xf0ad, 0xf0ae, 0xf0af,
- 0xf0b0, 0xf0b1, 0xf0b2, 0xf0b3, 0xf0b4, 0xf0b5, 0xf0b6, 0xf0b7,
- 0xf0b8, 0xf0b9, 0xf0ba, 0xf0bb, 0xf0bc, 0xf0bd, 0xf0be, 0xf0bf,
- 0xf0c0, 0xf0c1, 0xf0c2, 0xf0c3, 0xf0c4, 0xf0c5, 0xf0c6, 0xf0c7,
- 0xf0c8, 0xf0c9, 0xf0ca, 0xf0cb, 0xf0cc, 0xf0cd, 0xf0ce, 0xf0cf,
- 0xf0d0, 0xf0d1, 0xf0d2, 0xf0d3, 0xf0d4, 0xf0d5, 0xf0d6, 0xf0d7,
- 0xf0d8, 0xf0d9, 0xf0da, 0xf0db, 0xf0dc, 0xf0dd, 0xf0de, 0xf0df,
- 0xf0e0, 0xf0e1, 0xf0e2, 0xf0e3, 0xf0e4, 0xf0e5, 0xf0e6, 0xf0e7,
- 0xf0e8, 0xf0e9, 0xf0ea, 0xf0eb, 0xf0ec, 0xf0ed, 0xf0ee, 0xf0ef,
- 0xf0f0, 0xf0f1, 0xf0f2, 0xf0f3, 0xf0f4, 0xf0f5, 0xf0f6, 0xf0f7,
- 0xf0f8, 0xf0f9, 0xf0fa, 0xf0fb, 0xf0fc, 0xf0fd, 0xf0fe, 0xf0ff
+ 0x0000, 0x0001, 0x0002, 0x0003, 0x0004, 0x0005, 0x0006, 0x0007,
+ 0x0008, 0x0009, 0x000a, 0x000b, 0x000c, 0x000d, 0x000e, 0x000f,
+ 0x0010, 0x0011, 0x0012, 0x0013, 0x0014, 0x0015, 0x0016, 0x0017,
+ 0x0018, 0x0019, 0x001a, 0x001b, 0x001c, 0x001d, 0x001e, 0x001f,
+ 0x0020, 0x0021, 0x0022, 0x0023, 0x0024, 0x0025, 0x0026, 0x0027,
+ 0x0028, 0x0029, 0x002a, 0x002b, 0x002c, 0x002d, 0x002e, 0x002f,
+ 0x0030, 0x0031, 0x0032, 0x0033, 0x0034, 0x0035, 0x0036, 0x0037,
+ 0x0038, 0x0039, 0x003a, 0x003b, 0x003c, 0x003d, 0x003e, 0x003f,
+ 0x0040, 0x0041, 0x0042, 0x0043, 0x0044, 0x0045, 0x0046, 0x0047,
+ 0x0048, 0x0049, 0x004a, 0x004b, 0x004c, 0x004d, 0x004e, 0x004f,
+ 0x0050, 0x0051, 0x0052, 0x0053, 0x0054, 0x0055, 0x0056, 0x0057,
+ 0x0058, 0x0059, 0x005a, 0x005b, 0x005c, 0x005d, 0x005e, 0x005f,
+ 0x0060, 0x0061, 0x0062, 0x0063, 0x0064, 0x0065, 0x0066, 0x0067,
+ 0x0068, 0x0069, 0x006a, 0x006b, 0x006c, 0x006d, 0x006e, 0x006f,
+ 0x0070, 0x0071, 0x0072, 0x0073, 0x0074, 0x0075, 0x0076, 0x0077,
+ 0x0078, 0x0079, 0x007a, 0x007b, 0x007c, 0x007d, 0x007e, 0x007f,
+ 0x0080, 0x0081, 0x0082, 0x0083, 0x0084, 0x0085, 0x0086, 0x0087,
+ 0x0088, 0x0089, 0x008a, 0x008b, 0x008c, 0x008d, 0x008e, 0x008f,
+ 0x0090, 0x0091, 0x0092, 0x0093, 0x0094, 0x0095, 0x0096, 0x0097,
+ 0x0098, 0x0099, 0x009a, 0x009b, 0x009c, 0x009d, 0x009e, 0x009f,
+ 0x00a0, 0x00a1, 0x00a2, 0x00a3, 0x00a4, 0x00a5, 0x00a6, 0x00a7,
+ 0x00a8, 0x00a9, 0x00aa, 0x00ab, 0x00ac, 0x00ad, 0x00ae, 0x00af,
+ 0x00b0, 0x00b1, 0x00b2, 0x00b3, 0x00b4, 0x00b5, 0x00b6, 0x00b7,
+ 0x00b8, 0x00b9, 0x00ba, 0x00bb, 0x00bc, 0x00bd, 0x00be, 0x00bf,
+ 0x00c0, 0x00c1, 0x00c2, 0x00c3, 0x00c4, 0x00c5, 0x00c6, 0x00c7,
+ 0x00c8, 0x00c9, 0x00ca, 0x00cb, 0x00cc, 0x00cd, 0x00ce, 0x00cf,
+ 0x00d0, 0x00d1, 0x00d2, 0x00d3, 0x00d4, 0x00d5, 0x00d6, 0x00d7,
+ 0x00d8, 0x00d9, 0x00da, 0x00db, 0x00dc, 0x00dd, 0x00de, 0x00df,
+ 0x00e0, 0x00e1, 0x00e2, 0x00e3, 0x00e4, 0x00e5, 0x00e6, 0x00e7,
+ 0x00e8, 0x00e9, 0x00ea, 0x00eb, 0x00ec, 0x00ed, 0x00ee, 0x00ef,
+ 0x00f0, 0x00f1, 0x00f2, 0x00f3, 0x00f4, 0x00f5, 0x00f6, 0x00f7,
+ 0x00f8, 0x00f9, 0x00fa, 0x00fb, 0x00fc, 0x00fd, 0x00fe, 0x00ff
}
};
If there is a better way for doing that, please let me know.
Please reply also directly to me, as I'm not subscribed to linux-kernel.
Thank you in advance for considering this change.
--
QRCZAK #
__("< Marcin Kowalczyk #*#
\__/ qrczak@knm.org.pl #\#&#
^^ http://qrczak.home.ml.org/ I