Hi: by text console I mean /dev/tty1, ... , /dev/tty6. OK. Now suppose I do not want neither the cli nor any appl to use colour at all. What would a system wide command or setting be? (GNU Linux 3.2.29).

If you're concerned about colors of files or directories in terminal, then you can turn it off. Just follow this.

Oh yes, but let's not enter into an interminable thread if I mention certain program. I want the CONSOLE (virtual console, /dev/ttyN,N some number), to disable colour. I think terminfo is the answer.

EDIT: the program is vim. Though set for no syntax checking (:syntax off) it still uses colour when matching parenthesis. However, TERM=linux-m in /etc/profile has just eliminated color in this feature too!

This http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_turn_off_all_colors

PS I am curious as to why you'd want to though ...

Did you think how many colors LQ pages have? Only one, in fact: blue, in two or three shades. That is to say, it is monochrome (save for some tiny icons visible when you compose)! Why would that be! It's a matter of taste, good taste. And comfort to the eye, in the long run. Plus:

With 'syntax off' you disable color in vim. But not parenthesis matching: it will still use color (in my box at least). And the particular color it uses makes the cursor almost invisible when matching a parenthesis, square bracket or curly one.

syntax highlighting isn't just about adding colors, it's for making specific patterns of text more visible. It's generally designed for program code, but can really be used with almost any text.

vim's syntax patterns are loaded from external files. You can personalize the foreground color, the background color, and/or the font style for any syntax setting in them. You can also create your own, or just override individual settings in your vimrc.

http://www.sbf5.com/~cduan/technical/vi/vi-4.shtml

As for customizing the parentheses matching see here:
http://design.liberta.co.za/articles...-highlighting/

I've personally changed mine to an easy-on-the-eye bold white with this:
Of course you can also just disable parentheses matching completely if you don't like it.

http://vimrc-dissection.blogspot.jp/...hesiswhat.html


I really suggest that you search vim's help and/or google any time you find something about it that you want to change. Chances are good that you can make it do what you want with just a bit of configuration tweaking.

I have programmed for nearly 20 years now, and never used color. As for help, I always try to go to vim's help and, sometimes, to that of vi, it being less dense.

But don't know if you read post #3. I quote myself: TERM=linux-m has done away with color all through the user interface, to my utmost satisfaction.