On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 12:21:06PM -0500, H.S. wrote: > Jochen Schulz wrote: > > Then you should try mplayer playing movies in ascii on the console. :) > Just did, awesome! > > BTW, while playing an avi file in a console, trying to change to another > console caused the computer to hang.
This is quite strange that it happens with mplayer in ascii art mode. It could happen an _apparent_ hang when one uses mplayer in true graphic mode in console (or any graphic mode console program) and then the program is _brutally killed_ (dosemu old bugs anyone? dosemu documantation should still have some racomendations for cases like this; especially read the keyboard suggestions, even if with modern kernels maig sysreq might be sufficient) This might leave the video card in inconsistent state (this can also happen with X using some low quality video drivers, especially proprietary ones, and one switches from X to text mode). But behind the unreadable video output the machine is still working, as one can see from remote logins. On i386 architecture a solution might be (and has been for me in all cases where I needed something like this) remotely run a program (mode3? I do not remenber the name) from svgalib-bin which accesses real-mode registers in the vido card bios (or something like this) to restore a sane video output. But be aware of the warnings that the man page explains. If and when a _real_ hang happens, use magic sysreq provided by the kernel and not the reset button. -- Chi usa software non libero avvelena anche te. Digli di smettere. Informatica=arsenico: minime dosi in rari casi patologici, altrimenti letale. Informatica=bomba: intelligente solo per gli stupidi che ci credono. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
