[SOLVED] Refreshing Console Display (not a Ctrl-L Issue!)

Sara · 2011-02-18 22:22:04

If I open a picture or PDF file (using fbv and fbpdf-git respectively), if part of the picture or PDF reaches to the edges of the console screen, then even when I close the picture/PDF I can still see the remnants of the image/PDF that were at the edges. Switching to a different TTY and back fixes the issue. I have this problem both in the framebuffer (with fbterm) and the Linux console. It's a little annoying switching TTYs every few minutes (especially when I am switching between previewing a PDF file and vim, where the PDF is still visible), so any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Using the "clear" command does not help (that only clears the text on the console).

Edit (1): I should also mention that even if I close the PDF, the edges of it will still appear "behind" my console screen. So it's definitely a refresh issue.

Edit (2): Now I think it may not be a problem with the screen refreshing, but rather, the console text-based programs (to include the shell itself) don't go to the very edge of the screen. However, image viewers and PDF viewers do use the edges of the screen, so when I switch terminals (in GNU screen) I see the picture/PDF in the background that I was previously viewing. On the bottom of the display, there's a bigger border between the program and the edge of the screen, so I can actually read part of my PDF from it. On the right side, the border is very thin, and I can only distinguish the color. The left and top remain unchanged (no border) as they should be.

Hopefully this makes sense.

Edit (3): I did some more tests, and I am one-hundred percent positive that my conclusion in (2) is correct. There are a few cms between the bottom of the screen and my status bar in GNU screen, and when I close the picture/PDF, it's in those few cms (and only in that) that I can still see the picture/PDF. It seems that all text-based console apps respect this border, but not my PDF and image viewers. The only solution to this problem then is to eliminate the borders. But how to do so?

Edit (4): The solution, as given by joyfulgirl, is to report this bug upstream. Thanks joyfulgirl. I'll post the results of the bug reporting once I can get to it.

Edit (5): Now, I'm not entirely sure I should file a bug report, as I discovered the "stty" command, which sets terminal options for the Linux console. Playing around with the rows and columns settings, my console is limited to 66 rows and 213 columns (which is set by default). Making the number of rows shorter (e.g. `stty rows 50`), pushes text way up, and trying to increase the number of rows makes stty output "Invalid argument". So I believe my hardware is what is restricting me, and what I am seeing is not a bug. As fbv and fbpdf are not run in a terminal, they do not respect the limits set by stty, which caused the effect I saw. So I don't think I will be filing a bug report, but thank you joyfulgirl for your suggestions.

It's curious though that switching consoles completely clears everything in the screen. I suppose I would still be interested in a keybinding that I could use without switching consoles.

Last edited by Sara (2011-02-19 22:21:04)

escondida · 2011-02-18 22:53:15

What about reset (1)?

Sara · 2011-02-18 22:55:45

joyfulgirl wrote:

What about reset (1)?

Unfortunately, `reset` does not work. But I hadn't known about the reset command before, so thanks.

escondida · 2011-02-19 02:34:52

Honestly, in that case (and having read the edits), I'd say the Right Thing™ here is to report the bug to upstream.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-02-18 22:22:04

[SOLVED] Refreshing Console Display (not a Ctrl-L Issue!)

#2 2011-02-18 22:53:15

Re: [SOLVED] Refreshing Console Display (not a Ctrl-L Issue!)

#3 2011-02-18 22:55:45

Re: [SOLVED] Refreshing Console Display (not a Ctrl-L Issue!)

#4 2011-02-19 02:34:52

Re: [SOLVED] Refreshing Console Display (not a Ctrl-L Issue!)

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