/dev/xcons

[George Robbins]

In article <MIKE.91Jun21173626 at apex.yorku.ca> mike at apex.yorku.ca (Mike Marques) writes:
> Greetings...
> 
> Where do I get information about /dev/xcons?
> 
> I tried adding the following to my rc.local:
> 
> # Direct console output to /usr/adm/messages
> tail -f /dev/xcons >>/usr/adm/messages &

I think tail depends on seeing the file size change or some other clue
that data has been appended to a file.  I don't know that it can be
expected to do anything meaningful on a character device.

One way we use X here is to provide graphics support for a CAD package
where the control terminal is a normal termainal (no xterm to clutter
up the screen).  I just have "cat -u /dev/xcons & " in the startup
script which seems to work nicely in diverting "console" output to the
controlling terminal.

I don't see why writing to a file would be any different - perhaps the
trick is to avoid having the output buffered so that "killing" the
cat doesn't loose the buffer, which for low volume would be most of
the output.  Dunno if "cat -u" is adequate or merely cargo cult.

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing:   domain: grr at cbmvax.commodore.com
Commodore, Engineering Department     phone:  215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)