I'm running Slackware 10.0 on a Dual P3 Xeon system.

As a newb exercise, I was rebuilding the kernel. My standard console display, including all the startup messages is 50 lines x132 characters. I built a copy of the kernel, as a test, and the resolution stayed the same.
I went through a few files (sys.c, dma.c, timer.c; chosen b/c they had other printk's right there and so would probably not flood my screen) and added a printk or 2, and rebuilt the kernel.

This new kernel's console for some reason has a 80x25 resolution. I've been though lilo.conf and tried out various settings (vga=normal, vga=773, vga = 771, append="vga=ask"), but nothing changes it. And thinking about it, lilo.conf should affect all 3 kernels (the original, the copy, and the modified with printk's), whereas I'm only getting this issue in one. The video card can't be having issues because the higher resolution works using the other kernels. So it has to be an issue, logically it seems, with the kernel, but I didn't change anything, just added a few printk's (which, btw, do show up once in a while, so I know it worked).

This is mainly a minor inconvenience and a lot of curiosity, because no edits I did to those files (only adding printk's, and I didn't bump anything out of a loop or if by adding that line in) should have any effect on the console resolution.

Ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Dagda

Ah, and another random effect: on all kernels, I can't get a network connection. None whatsoever. when I try to ping the router (its worked in the past), I get

connect: Network is unreachable

Help?

You forgot to mention which version of the
kernel, and whether you were using the source
shipped with Slack, or a tar-ball from kernel.org,
and in either case whether you have re-used the
.config file that had been used by Slack, or started
one from scratch. That all said I may have to add that
Slack's kernels by default aren't SMP capable ...



Cheers,
Tink

P.S.: If you need to add some info you
can actually just edit your post, no need
to post a response to yourself ;)

Ah, its kernel version 2.4.26, I've enabled SMP support using menuconfig, I believe its downloaded from kernel.org and burned onto 2 CD's, but am not sure since I got them from a friend, and the config file was the one given by Slack, and modified for the multiple kernels as well as when I was tinkering with the vga settings.
Right now, it reads:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 2400
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset

# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins

image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda2
label = Linux
read-only
image = /boot/kernelChanged #this is the one with printk added
root = /dev/hda2
label = changed_kernel
read-only
image = /boot/newkernel #this is the copy
root = /dev/hda2
label = copy_kernel
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends


EDIT: And btw, I have Slack 10 running on another dual system, without the SMP enabled, and it works, so I don't think that is the source of the problem.

Thanks! and sorry for the lack of info,
Dagda

Solution:
Apparently the framebuffer got disabled for the new kernel.
To reset it, in menuconfig a couple settings must be enabled:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Framebuffer-HOWTO.html was extremely helpful.