From owner-freebsd-hackers  Thu Oct 22 09:29:43 1998
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To: Nick Hibma <nick.hibma@jrc.it>
Cc: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au>,
        FreeBSD hackers mailing list <hackers@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject: Re: multi-user: multiple consoles in FreeBSD 
Reply-To: Jason Thorpe <thorpej@nas.nasa.gov>
From: Jason Thorpe <thorpej@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 09:28:12 -0700
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On Thu, 22 Oct 1998 10:26:51 +0200 (MET DST) 
 Nick Hibma <nick.hibma@jrc.it> wrote:

 > With X it should be possible, but I don't know how. Any pointers would
 > be appreciated. In text mode however I am unaware of any possiblities,
 > largely lacking probably because of the fact that there are no
 > possiblities to connect more than one keyboard and screen anyway at the
 > moment. Up to now.

NetBSD's wscons can handle multiple text displays, keyboards, mice, etc.

The big problem is crappy PC hardware.  If you plop more than one PCI VGA
device in your system, You Lose, because they both attempt to map themselves
in compatibility space so that the BIOS can talk to them.

Some display controllers (notably, 3D accellerators) have a jumper to disable
VGA mode completely, but then you only get a memory mapped frame buffer (if
you're lucky :-)

Jason R. Thorpe                                       thorpej@nas.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Research Center                            Home: +1 408 866 1912
NAS: M/S 258-5                                       Work: +1 650 604 0935
Moffett Field, CA 94035                             Pager: +1 650 940 5942

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