Scrambled Console
 

Hi,
I have a PC that rans slackware only from console, no X installed.
When I used slackware 9.1 all was normal (after 10 minutes, the text in the console dissapared and when I clicked any key everything returned to normal operation), but now I have installed slackware 10 and the conslose doesn't turn black anymore. In about 10-15 minutes of inactivity the cursor stops blinking and when I press anything the monitor show crap(scrambled blocs, which are white and black and blinking everywhere all the time), in short - something is broken.

I have tried recompiling the kernel with different power options, but that didn't help, maybe it's not the kernel.

Do you have any ideas?

Thanks

For power option, if the computer is recent, I would enable acpi with no apm enabled (configure kernel, remove modprobe apm in rc.local, chmod +x rc.acpid) and if the computer is old, I would choose apm without acpi (configure kernel, chmod -x rc.acpid, uncomment modprobe apm in rc.local).

Have you a frame buffered console ?

The command that provide screen blanking after some minutes of inactivity is in the /etc/rc.d/rc.M file :
/bin/setterm -blank 15 -powersave powerdown -powerdown 60

I have typed this :
/bin/setterm -blank 1
and the console didn't get blank instead it got scrabled right away, so does this mean the setterm executable is corrupt or something.

This PC is very old and it doesn't even have a framebuffred console support, the monitor is Monochrome LCD and the PC is Pentium Classic 166 MHz@32 MB RAM

The monitor is not connected to the power socket it works directly from the video card, so I will try disabling powersaving options, maybe it will stop scrabling and since the monitor is LCD it doesn't need a screensaver(I can use the top command for that :) )

Any ideas about the corrupt setterm?

the setterm is not corrupt ;) try man setterm and play with its options

And you can always comment the relevant line in rc.M at least

Ok, I have already done that, it has been working for half an hour now and now scrambling problems (yet).
Hope this works out ok

Thanks for the advice