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CONSOLE_IOCTLS(4)

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NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       console ioctl - ioctl's for console terminal and virtual consoles

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       WARNING:  If  you  use  the following information you are going to burn
       yourself.

       WARNING: ioctl's are undocumented Linux internals, liable to be changed
       without warning.  Use POSIX functions.

       The  following  Linux-peculiar  ioctl()	requests  are supported.  Each
       requires a third argument, assumed here to be argp.

       KDGETLED    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get state of LEDs.  argp points to a long int.  The lower  three
	      bits of *argp are set to the state of the LEDs, as follows:

		  LED_CAP	0x04   caps lock led
		  LEC_NUM	0x02   num lock led
		  LED_SCR	0x01   scroll lock led


       KDSETLED    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Set the LEDs.  The LEDs are set to correspond to the lower three
	      bits of argp.  However, if a higher order bit is set,  the  LEDs
	      revert to normal: displaying the state of the keyboard functions
	      of caps lock, num lock, and scroll lock.

       Before 1.1.54, the LEDs just reflected the state of  the  corresponding
       keyboard  flags,  and  KDGETLED/KDSETLED would also change the keyboard
       flags. Since 1.1.54 the leds can be made to display arbitrary  information,
  but  by  default they display the keyboard flags.  The following
       two ioctl's are used to access the keyboard flags.


       KDGKBLED    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get keyboard flags CapsLock, NumLock, ScrollLock	(not  lights).
	      argp  points  to a char which is set to the flag state.  The low
	      order three bits (mask 0x7) get the current flag state, and  the
	      low  order  bits	of the next nibble (mask 0x70) get the default
	      flag state. (Since 1.1.54.)


       KDSKBLED    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Set keyboard flags CapsLock, NumLock, ScrollLock	(not  lights).
	      argp has the desired flag state.	The low order three bits (mask
	      0x7) have the flag state, and the low order  bits  of  the  next
	      nibble  (mask 0x70) have the default flag state. (Since 1.1.54.)


       KDGKBTYPE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get keyboard type. This returns the  value  KB_101,  defined  as
	      0x02.


       KDADDIO    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Add I/O port as valid. Equivalent to ioperm(arg,1,1).


       KDDELIO    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Delete I/O port as valid. Equivalent to ioperm(arg,1,0).


       KDENABIO    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Enable   I/O   to   video  board.  Equivalent  to  ioperm(0x3b4,
	      0x3df-0x3b4+1, 1).


       KDDISABIO    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Disable  I/O  to	video  board.  Equivalent   to	 ioperm(0x3b4,
	      0x3df-0x3b4+1, 0).


       KDSETMODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Set text/graphics mode.  argp is one of these:

		  KD_TEXT	0x00
		  KD_GRAPHICS	0x01


       KDGETMODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get  text/graphics  mode.  argp points to a long which is set to
	      one of the above values.


       KDMKTONE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Generate tone of specified length.  The lower 16	bits  of  argp
	      specify  the  period in clock cycles, and the upper 16 bits give
	      the duration in msec.  If the duration is  zero,	the  sound  is
	      turned  off.   Control returns immediately.  For example, argp =
	      (125<<16) + 0x637 would specify  the  beep  normally  associated
	      with a ctrl-G.  (Thus since 0.99pl1; broken in 2.1.49-50.)


       KIOCSOUND    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Start or stop sound generation.  The lower 16 bits of argp specify
 the period in clock cycles (that  is,  argp  =  1193180/frequency).
	 argp  =  0  turns sound off.  In either case, control
	      returns immediately.


       GIO_CMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get the current default colour map from kernel.  argp points  to
	      a 48-byte array.	(Since 1.3.3.)


       PIO_CMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Change  the  default  text-mode  colour  map.   argp points to a
	      48-byte array which contains, in order, the Red, Green, and Blue
	      values for the 16 available screen colours: 0 is off, and 255 is
	      full intensity.  The default colours are, in order: black,  dark
	      red, dark green, brown, dark blue, dark purple, dark cyan, light
	      grey, dark grey, bright red, bright green, yellow, bright  blue,
	      bright purple, bright cyan and white.  (Since 1.3.3.)


       GIO_FONT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Gets 256-character screen font in expanded form.	argp points to
	      an 8192 byte array.  Fails with error code EINVAL  if  the  currently
 loaded font is a 512-character font, or if the console is
	      not in text mode.


       GIO_FONTX    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Gets screen font and associated information.  argp points  to  a
	      struct  consolefontdesc (see PIO_FONTX).	On call, the charcount
	      field should be set to the maximum  number  of  characters  that
	      would  fit in the buffer pointed to by chardata.	On return, the
	      charcount and charheight are filled with the respective data for
	      the  currently  loaded font, and the chardata array contains the
	      font data if the initial value  of  charcount  indicated	enough
	      space was available; otherwise the buffer is untouched and errno
	      is set to ENOMEM.  (Since 1.3.1.)


       PIO_FONT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Sets 256-character screen font.	Load  font  into  the  EGA/VGA
	      character  generator.   argp  points to a 8192 byte map, with 32
	      bytes per character.  Only first N of them are used for  an  8xN
	      font (0 < N <= 32).  This call also invalidates the Unicode mapping.



       PIO_FONTX    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Sets screen font and  associated	rendering  information.   argp
	      points to a

	      struct consolefontdesc {
		      u_short charcount;      /* characters in font (256 or 512) */
		      u_short charheight;     /* scan lines per character (1-32) */
		      char *chardata;	      /* font data in expanded form */
	      };

	      If necessary, the screen will be appropriately resized, and SIG-
	      WINCH sent to the appropriate processes.	This call also invalidates
 the Unicode mapping.  (Since 1.3.1.)


       PIO_FONTRESET    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Resets  the  screen font, size and Unicode mapping to the bootup
	      defaults.  argp is unused, but should be set to NULL  to	ensure
	      compatibility with future versions of Linux.  (Since 1.3.28.)


       GIO_SCRNMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get  screen mapping from kernel.	argp points to an area of size
	      E_TABSZ, which is loaded with the font positions used to display
	      each  character.	This call is likely to return useless information
 if the currently loaded font is more than 256 characters.


       GIO_UNISCRNMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get full Unicode screen mapping from kernel.  argp points to  an
	      area  of	size  E_TABSZ*sizeof(unsigned  short), which is loaded
	      with the Unicodes each character represent.  A  special  set  of
	      Unicodes,  starting at U+F000, are used to represent ``direct to
	      font'' mappings.	(Since 1.3.1.)


       PIO_SCRNMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Loads the ``user definable'' (fourth) table in the kernel  which
	      maps  bytes into console screen symbols.	argp points to an area
	      of size E_TABSZ.


       PIO_UNISCRNMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Loads the ``user definable'' (fourth) table in the kernel  which
	      maps  bytes into Unicodes, which are then translated into screen
	      symbols according to the currently loaded  Unicode-to-font  map.
	      Special  Unicodes starting at U+F000 can be used to map directly
	      to the font symbols.  (Since 1.3.1.)


       GIO_UNIMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get Unicode-to-font mapping from kernel.	argp points to a

	      struct unimapdesc {
		      u_short entry_ct;
		      struct unipair *entries;
	      };

	      where entries points to an array of

	      struct unipair {
		      u_short unicode;
		      u_short fontpos;
	      };

	      (Since 1.1.92.)


       PIO_UNIMAP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Put unicode-to-font mapping in kernel.  argp points to a	struct
	      unimapdesc.  (Since 1.1.92)


       PIO_UNIMAPCLR    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Clear table, possibly advise hash algorithm.  argp points to a

	      struct unimapinit {
		      u_short advised_hashsize;  /* 0 if no opinion */
		      u_short advised_hashstep;  /* 0 if no opinion */
		      u_short advised_hashlevel; /* 0 if no opinion */
	      };

	      (Since 1.1.92.)


       KDGKBMODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Gets  current keyboard mode.  argp points to a long which is set
	      to one of these:

		  K_RAW 	0x00
		  K_XLATE	0x01
		  K_MEDIUMRAW	0x02
		  K_UNICODE	0x03


       KDSKBMODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Sets current keyboard mode.  argp is a long equal to one of  the
	      above values.


       KDGKBMETA    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Gets meta key handling mode.  argp points to a long which is set
	      to one of these:

		  K_METABIT	0x03   set high order bit
		  K_ESCPREFIX	0x04   escape prefix


       KDSKBMETA    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Sets meta key handling mode.  argp is a long equal to one of the
	      above values.


       KDGKBENT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Gets  one  entry	in  key  translation  table (keycode to action
	      code).  argp points to a

	      struct kbentry {
		  u_char kb_table;
		  u_char kb_index;
		  u_short kb_value;
	      };

	      with the first two members filled in: kb_table selects  the  key
	      table (0 <= kb_table < MAX_NR_KEYMAPS), and kb_index is the keycode
 (0 <= kb_index < NR_KEYS).  kb_value is set to  the	corresponding
	action	code,  or  K_HOLE  if there is no such key, or
	      K_NOSUCHMAP if kb_table is invalid.


       KDSKBENT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Sets one entry in translation table.  argp points  to  a	struct
	      kbentry.


       KDGKBSENT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Gets one function key string.  argp points to a

	      struct kbsentry {
		  u_char kb_func;
		  u_char kb_string[512];
	      };

	      kb_string  is  set to the (NULL terminated) string corresponding
	      to the kb_functh function key action code.


       KDSKBSENT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Sets one function key string entry.  argp  points  to  a	struct
	      kbsentry.


       KDGKBDIACR    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Read kernel accent table.  argp points to a

	      struct kbdiacrs {
		  unsigned int kb_cnt;
		  struct kbdiacr kbdiacr[256];
	      };

	      where  kb_cnt  is  the  number  of entries in the array, each of
	      which is a

	      struct kbdiacr { u_char diacr, base, result; };


       KDGETKEYCODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Read kernel keycode table entry (scan code  to  keycode).   argp
	      points to a

	      struct kbkeycode { unsigned int scancode, keycode; };

	      keycode  is  set	to  correspond	to the given scancode.	(89 <=
	      scancode <= 255 only.  For 1 <= scancode <=  88,	keycode==scan-
	      code.)  (Since 1.1.63.)


       KDSETKEYCODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Write  kernel keycode table entry.  argp points to struct kbkeycode.
  (Since 1.1.63.)


       KDSIGACCEPT    [Toc]    [Back]
	      The calling process indicates its willingness to accept the signal
  argp  when  it  is generated by pressing an appropriate key
	      combination.  (1 <= argp	<=  NSIG).   (See  spawn_console()  in
	      linux/drivers/char/keyboard.c.)


       VT_OPENQRY    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Returns  the  first available (non-opened) console.  argp points
	      to an int which is set to the number of the vt (1  <=  *argp  <=
	      MAX_NR_CONSOLES).


       VT_GETMODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get mode of active vt.  argp points to a

	      struct vt_mode {
		  char mode;	 /* vt mode */
		  char waitv;	 /* if set, hang on writes if not active */
		  short relsig;  /* signal to raise on release req */
		  short acqsig;  /* signal to raise on acquisition */
		  short frsig;	 /* unused (set to 0) */
	      };

	      mode is set to one of these values:

		  VT_AUTO	auto vt switching
		  VT_PROCESS	process controls switching
		  VT_ACKACQ	acknowledge switch


       VT_SETMODE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Set mode of active vt.  argp points to a struct vt_mode.


       VT_GETSTATE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Get global vt state info.  argp points to a

	      struct vt_stat {
		  ushort v_active;  /* active vt */
		  ushort v_signal;  /* signal to send */
		  ushort v_state;   /* vt bitmask */
	      };

	      For  each vt in use, the corresponding bit in the v_state member
	      is set.  (Kernels 1.0 through 1.1.92.)


       VT_RELDISP    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Release a display.


       VT_ACTIVATE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Switch to vt argp (1 <= argp <= MAX_NR_CONSOLES).


       VT_WAITACTIVE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Wait until vt argp has been activated.


       VT_DISALLOCATE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Deallocate the memory associated with vt argp.  (Since  1.1.54.)


       VT_RESIZE    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Set the kernel's idea of screensize.  argp points to a

	      struct vt_sizes {
		  ushort v_rows;       /* # rows */
		  ushort v_cols;       /* # columns */
		  ushort v_scrollsize; /* no longer used */
	      };

	      Note  that  this	does  not  change  the videomode.  See resizecons(8).	(Since 1.1.54.)


       VT_RESIZEX    [Toc]    [Back]
	      Set the kernel's idea of various screen parameters.  argp points
	      to a

	      struct vt_consize {
		      ushort v_rows;	      /* number of rows */
		      ushort v_cols;	      /* number of columns */
		      ushort v_vlin;	      /* number of pixel rows on screen */
		      ushort v_clin;	      /* number of pixel rows per character */
		      ushort v_vcol;	      /* number of pixel columns on screen */
		      ushort v_ccol;	      /* number of pixel columns per character */
	      };

	      Any  parameter may be set to zero, indicating ``no change'', but
	      if multiple parameters are set, they  must  be  self-consistent.
	      Note  that  this	does  not  change  the videomode.  See resizecons(8).	(Since 1.3.3.)


       The action of the following ioctls depends on the  first  byte  in  the
       struct  pointed to by argp, referred to here as the subcode.  These are
       legal only for the superuser or the owner of the current tty.

       TIOCLINUX, subcode=0
	      Dump the screen.	Disappeared in 1.1.92.	(With kernel 1.1.92 or
	      later, read from /dev/vcsN or /dev/vcsaN instead.)


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=1
	      Get task information. Disappeared in 1.1.92.


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=2
	      Set selection.  argp points to a

		 struct {char subcode;
		     short xs, ys, xe, ye;
		     short sel_mode;
		 }

	      xs  and  ys  are the starting column and row.  xe and ye are the
	      ending column and row.  (Upper  left  corner  is	row=column=1.)
	      sel_mode	is 0 for character-by-character selection, 1 for wordby-word
 selection, or 2 for line-by-line selection.   The  indicated
  screen characters are highlighted and saved in the static
	      array sel_buffer in devices/char/console.c.


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=3
	      Paste selection.	The characters in  the	selection  buffer  are
	      written to fd.


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=4
	      Unblank the screen.


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=5
	      Sets  contents of a 256-bit look up table defining characters in
	      a "word", for word-by-word selection.  (Since 1.1.32.)


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=6
	      argp points to a char which is set to the value  of  the	kernel
	      variable shift_state.  (Since 1.1.32.)


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=7
	      argp  points  to	a char which is set to the value of the kernel
	      variable report_mouse.  (Since 1.1.33.)


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=8
	      Dump screen width and height, cursor position, and all the character-attribute
  pairs.	(Kernels  1.1.67  through 1.1.91 only.
	      With kernel 1.1.92 or later, read from /dev/vcsa* instead.)


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=9
	      Restore screen width and height, cursor position,  and  all  the
	      character-attribute pairs.  (Kernels 1.1.67 through 1.1.91 only.
	      With kernel 1.1.92 or later, write to /dev/vcsa* instead.)


       TIOCLINUX, subcode=10
	      Handles the Power Saving feature of the new generation of  monitors.
   VESA  screen blanking mode is set to argp[1], which governs
 what screen blanking does:

		  0: Screen blanking is disabled.

		  1: The current video adapter register  settings  are	saved,
	      then  the controller is programmed to turn off the vertical synchronization
 pulses.  This puts the monitor into "standby" mode.
	      If  your	monitor has an Off_Mode timer, then it will eventually
	      power down by itself.

		  2: The current settings are saved, then  both  the  vertical
	      and horizontal synchronization pulses are turned off.  This puts
	      the monitor into "off" mode.  If your monitor  has  no  Off_Mode
	      timer,  or  if  you  want your monitor to power down immediately
	      when the blank_timer times out, then  you  choose  this  option.
	      (Caution: Powering down frequently will damage the monitor.)

	      (Since 1.1.76.)

RETURN VALUE    [Toc]    [Back]

       -1 for error, and errno is set.

ERRORS    [Toc]    [Back]

       errno may take on these values:


       EBADF  file descriptor is invalid.

       ENOTTY file  descriptor	is  not  associated  with  a character special
	      device, or the specified request does not apply to it.

       EINVAL file descriptor or argp is invalid.

       EPERM  permission violation.

WARNING    [Toc]    [Back]

       Do not regard this man page  as	documentation  of  the	Linux  console
       ioctl's.   This	is provided for the curious only, as an alternative to
       reading the source. Ioctl's are undocumented Linux internals, liable to
       be  changed  without  warning.  (And  indeed,  this  page  more or less
       describes the situation as of kernel version  1.1.94;  there  are  many
       minor and not-so-minor differences with earlier versions.)

       Very often, ioctl's are introduced for communication between the kernel
       and  one  particular  well-known  program  (fdisk,  hdparm,  setserial,
       tunelp, loadkeys, selection, setfont, etc.), and their behavior will be
       changed when required by this particular program.

       Programs using these ioctl's will not be portable to other versions  of
       Unix,  will  not  work on older versions of Linux, and will not work on
       future versions of Linux.

       Use POSIX functions.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

      
      
       kbd_mode(1), loadkeys(1), dumpkeys(1), mknod(1),  setleds(1),  setmeta-
       mode(1),  ioperm(2),  termios(2), execve(2), fcntl(2), console(4), con-
       sole_codes(4),  mt(4),  sd(4),  tty(4),	 ttys(4),   vcs(4),   vcsa(4),
       charsets(7),	   mapscrn(8),	      setfont(8),	resizecons(8),
       /usr/include/linux/kd.h, /usr/include/linux/vt.h



Linux				  1995-09-18		     CONSOLE_IOCTLS(4)
[ Back ]
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