MG-K: Console Screen Blanker

The kernel comes with a console screen blanker, it's default configuration is hard coded into the kernel.

To talk to the console screen blanker, you send some codes to the screen, remembering these codes isn't needed as we also get the program setterm that knows the codes.

setterm -powersave [on|vsync|hsync|powerdown|off]
setterm -blank [0-60|force|poke]

setterm checks the currents shells display and if it was created with ssh or screen, setterm refuses to work.

for index in $(seq 1 6); do setterm -blank 0 -powersave off >> /dev/tty$(index); done

This will turn off the screen blanker for vt1 to vt6, but it isn't saved between machine reboots.

put the line in /etc/conf.d/local.start and it will be executed on every boot.

Why am I turning it off? Because LCD screen's doesn't have burn-in issues, it's a legacy problem of CRT monitor and also because the screen blanker isn't needed with virtualized kernels.

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Copyright (c) 2007, 2008 Steen Eugen Poulsen

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