[SOLVED] installers (slackpkg, slackpkg+, sbopkg, etc.) using dialog box interface stuck in mid-1900s style?

Is dialog (interface) non-updated/orphaned since 1980s? Seems inspired by old DOS installers, which as wasn't much in them, much fit in old monitors' 25 to 60 (1990s) though would've been much nicer with option to fill screen rather than inset box 1/9 screen.

Felt dated by late 1990s; since I started using X terminals (xterms) more, it's an extremely time-consuming, almost painful process. One might page down several in Slackware installation, or through several hundred slackpkg (or slackpkg+) updates, or several thousand SlackBuilds.org (SBo) package (sbopkg) choices. One can see eight program names at once, but at nicely-readable larger-sized text, I'd have maybe 80 lines (and at small usable text, maybe some hundreds.) Honestly, I'm able to see a longer program list on my calculator: dialog box interface's list size is like for (smaller) monitors not just in early 1990s but maybe monitors their dawn in computing.

A friend told me one can edit dialog interface programs so box fills (instead 1/9) screen, but refused to suggest because was 'too busy "slacking"' (now he maybe gave up programming or much/anything productive.) Is there a way to do so?

I'll try to upload screenshot(s) how ludicrous dialog interface boxes looks on medium (i.e., 4K) monitors... some geometry/graphics professionals whose work I follow have large (i.e., 8K) monitors and (as some work wall-sized) surely are looking into custom/experimental largest (10K, 12K, 16k) if not also having even larger display/video/graphic projector onto walls. Sure, in some years/decades, when I get 8K, I may not want dialog to fill screen rather than taking half horizontally & vertically (still probably not inset 1/9) or I might still want it to, and just more closely watch where the highlighted line is.

Also, it's surrounded by a blue screen, which I often (re)install at night and wanted to stop having the blue light (can cause insomnia.)

I actually like Slackware's curses based dialogs, they are far better than most of the other terminal based setup programs in other Linux distros these days. The sizing is intentional to properly fit in a 80X24 character terminal size. However, having the console dimensions auto-detected would be better than assuming the worst case scenario.

One way to make the dialog boxes look less silly is to use the biggest console font possible. I use ter-v32b on my 2k monitor. A an even larger 32x64 console font would be better on a 4k monitor, but it looks like setfont doesn't like loading console fonts that large.

I don't want to tell anyone else what to do with their computer but; I think you might want to ask yourself why you are re-installing so often this is really a concern for you.

The issue is that the installer has to work in VGA modes, because yes even in 2020 not everyone is using a frame buffer console, and in the case of projects like Slackware arm a lot of hardware is still using serial line consoles or virtual serial consoles over USB for initial hardware set. The current installer scripts are a nice least common denominator that works quite literally everywhere.

Since most people don't use the installer but once in awhile and I suspect few Slackware users use pkgtool very often preferring the installpkg/removepkg/upgradepkg command lines options. Its hard to see much justification for changing IMHO

When I use curses-based applications with huge (> ~50-line) displays I find myself waiting forever holding cursor-down to go through lists. Sometimes page-down takes you too far (if it's a page), so I don't think these choices are clear-cut.

OP is your framebuffer working?

Originally Posted by dchmelik A friend told me one can edit dialog interface programs so box fills (instead 1/9) screen, but refused to document because was 'too busy "slacking"' (now he maybe gave up programming or much/anything productive.) Is there a way to do so?

You can specify the size as 0 0. The installer used to do that, but some time ago 0 0 began messing up the formatting, so we went back to hardcoding most sizes.

Originally Posted by volkerdi You can specify the size as 0 0. The installer used to do that, but some time ago 0 0 began messing up the formatting, so we went back to hardcoding most sizes.

Thanks very much; will try this...

Originally Posted by chemfire I don't want to tell anyone else what to do with their computer but; I think you might want to ask yourself why you are re-installing so often [...]

I'm not reinstalling often.

Originally Posted by rkelsen OP is your framebuffer working?

The main problem is in X terminals.

Originally Posted by dchmelik The main problem is in X terminals.

You should use xterm. Some terminal emulators despite claimed xterm compatibility are not capable fully work as xterm. Say xfce terminal emualtor is an example. Xterm is always the safiest choice.