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* [TUHS] virtual consoles / Alt-Fx
@ 2023-03-13 15:12 Paul Ruizendaal via TUHS
  2023-03-13 15:24 ` [TUHS] " Clem Cole
                   ` (5 more replies)
  0 siblings, 6 replies; 22+ messages in thread
From: Paul Ruizendaal via TUHS @ 2023-03-13 15:12 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

Thinking a bit more about terminal multiplexing was a major use case for early X, I recalled using Linux virtual consoles in the late 90’s for this purpose.

According to Wikipedia, virtual consoles originated with Xenix and before that with concurrent CP/M.

Perusing the documentation of those on Bitsavers, I can see that virtual consoles have a prominent mention in the manual for concurrent CP/M (1983), but not those of its forerunners MP/M II and MP/M (1979). I cannot find a mention of virtual consoles in Xenix documentation as late as 1988.

No such thing as a virtual (as distinct from pseudo) tty on 16-bit Unix or early 32-bit, as far as I know; one could argue it does not make much sense with physical terminals. Wikipedia says no such thing existed on SunOS either.

I think virtual consoles where present in Linux from a very early point.

So, as far as I can tell virtual consoles were invented for concurrent CP/M around 1983, made their way to Xenix in the late 80’s and became part of Linux in the early 90’s.

Have I missed other prior art?



^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 22+ messages in thread
* [TUHS] Re: virtual consoles / Alt-Fx
@ 2023-03-14  3:33 Rudi Blom
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 22+ messages in thread
From: Rudi Blom @ 2023-03-14  3:33 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: tuhs

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On SCO UNIX 3.2V4 you indeed have local virtual consoles moving from one to
another using the function keys. Worked from F1 to F12, but how often you
could login would depend on your license. Of course all still character
based, and depending on your TERM setting.

-- 
The more I learn the better I understand I know nothing.

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^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 22+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2023-03-17  8:14 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 22+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2023-03-13 15:12 [TUHS] virtual consoles / Alt-Fx Paul Ruizendaal via TUHS
2023-03-13 15:24 ` [TUHS] " Clem Cole
2023-03-13 15:27   ` Clem Cole
2023-03-13 16:17     ` Paul Winalski
2023-03-13 15:41   ` Warner Losh
2023-03-13 15:48     ` KenUnix
2023-03-13 15:48     ` Clem Cole
2023-03-13 16:14     ` Dan Cross
2023-03-13 17:26       ` Miod Vallat
2023-03-13 20:35         ` Dan Cross
2023-03-14 16:42   ` Derek Fawcus via TUHS
2023-03-14 22:46     ` Charles H Sauer (he/him)
2023-03-15  4:26       ` Heinz Lycklama
2023-03-13 15:27 ` Ralph Corderoy
2023-03-13 15:30 ` Warner Losh
2023-03-14  3:27   ` Rik Schneider
2023-03-13 15:33 ` Ron Natalie
2023-03-13 15:45   ` Heinz Lycklama
2023-03-13 17:04   ` Ralph Corderoy
2023-03-13 15:49 ` Brad Spencer
2023-03-17  8:14 ` Marc Donner
2023-03-14  3:33 Rudi Blom

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