vidi(C)

vidi -- set the font and video mode for a video device

Syntax

vidi [ -d ] [ -f fontfile ] font

vidi mode

Description

The vidi command has two functions. With arguments it loads/extracts a font or sets the video mode for the current standard input device. Without arguments, it lists all of the valid video mode and font commands.

Font options

Some video cards support changeable character fonts. Available fonts are font8x8, font8x14, and font8x16. The font options are used as follows:

vidi font: loads font from /usr/lib/vidi/font.
vidi -d font: writes font to the standard output.
vidi -d -f font fontfile: writes font to fontfile.
vidi -f fontfile font: loads font from fontfile instead of default directory.

Mode options

vidi also sets the mode of the video adapter connected to the standard input. The modes are:

mono: move current screen to the monochrome adapter.
cga: move current screen to the Color Graphics adapter.
ega: move current screen to the Enhanced Graphics adapter.
vga: move current screen to the Video Graphics adapter.
internal: activate the internal monitor on Compaq portable with a plasma screen.
external: activate the external monitor on Compaq portable with a plasma screen.
9bit: extend a font to the 9th bit
no9bit: do not extend a font to the 9th bit

Text and graphics modes

The following tables list the available modes.

Text Modes

 -------------------------------------------------------
 Mode      Cols   Rows   Font   Adapter
 -------------------------------------------------------
 c40x25     40     25    8x8    CGA (EGA VGA)
 e40x25     40     25    8x14   EGA (VGA)
 v40x25     40     25    8x16   VGA
 m80x25     80     25    8x14   MONO (EGA_MONO VGA_MONO)
 c80x25     80     25    8x8    CGA (EGA VGA)
 em80x25    80     25    8x14   EGA_MONO (VGA_MONO)
 e80x25     80     25    8x14   EGA (VGA)
 vm80x25    80     25    8x16   VGA_MONO
 v80x25     80     25    8x16   VGA
 e80x43     80     43    8x14   EGA (VGA)

Graphics Modes

 ------------------------------------------------------
 Mode     Pixel resolution   Colors       Adapter
 ------------------------------------------------------
 mode5    320x200              4          CGA (EGA VGA)
 mode6    640x200              2          CGA (EGA VGA)
 modeD    320x200             16          EGA (VGA)
 modeE    640x200             16          EGA (VGA)
 modeF    640x350              2 (mono)   EGA (VGA)
 mode10   640x350             16          EGA (VGA)
 mode11   640x480              2          VGA
 mode12   640x480             16          VGA
 mode13   320x200            256          VGA

Mapping console screen fonts

You can use vidi to display the full range of characters on a display adapter. Normally, if you have a console with a display adapter which has a character set defined in a ROM, you will be able to display only those characters defined in that ROM. In addition, the mapchan(F) file for the console must correspond to the character set defined in the display adapter ROM to display the entire font set.

For example, if your display adapter ROM has the IBM PC character set defined, but you are using the PC Nordic mapchan file, you will not be able to display the following characters:

ø Ø L· l· õ Õ ã Ã

To display these characters, use vidi to override the character set in ROM with the PC Nordic font file.

In addition to using vidi to override the ROM character set, you can use it to define certain display fonts on some display adapters. For example, the VGA adapter will allow you to display fonts in the sizes 8x8, 8x14, and 8x16.

If you change mapchan mapping for a console with any type of display adapter, you may also need to change the character font correspondingly.

vidi defines the font for one of a number of character sets. The font definition files are available in the directory /usr/lib/vidi, and are listed in ``Screen font mapping for the console'' for the various character sets.

For example, the following command allows you to display the full range of Nordic characters when you are using the PC Nordic mapchan file and your display adapter ROM has the IBM PC character set defined:

vidi -f /usr/lib/vidi/nor.8x14 font8x14

Screen font mapping for the console

If you change the mapchan(M) mapping for a console with any type of display adapter, you will also need to change the character font.

vidi defines the font for one of the character sets given below. The following font definition files are available in the directory /usr/lib/vidi:

 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 Character Set   8x8 font         8x14 font         8x16 font
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 Codepage 850    850.8x8          850.8x14          850.8x16
 ISO 8859        iso.8x8          iso.8x14          iso.8x16
 ISO 8859-2      ISO8859-2.8x8    ISO8859-2.8x14    ISO8859-2.8x16
 ISO 8859-3      ISO8859-3.8x8    ISO8859-3.8x14    ISO8859-3.8x16
 ISO 8859-4      ISO8859-4.8x8    ISO8859-4.8x14    ISO8859-4.8x16
 ISO 8859-5      ISO8859-5.8x8    ISO8859-5.8x14    ISO8859-5.8x16
 ISO 8859-6      ISO8859-6.8x8    ISO8859-6.8x14    ISO8859-6.8x16
 ISO 8859-7      ISO8859-7.8x8    ISO8859-7.8x14    ISO8859-7.8x16
 ISO 8859-8      ISO8859-8.8x8    ISO8859-8.8x14    ISO8859-8.8x16
 ISO 8859-9      ISO8859-9.8x8    ISO8859-9.8x14    ISO8859-9.8x16
 ISO 8859-10     ISO8859-10.8x8   ISO8859-10.8x14   ISO8859-10.8x16
 ISO 8859-15     ISO8859-15.8x8   ISO8859-15.8x14   ISO8859-15.8x16
 PC Greek        grk.8x8          grk.8x14          grk.8x16
 PC Israeli      isr.8x8          isr.8x14          isr.8x16
 PC Nordic       nor.8x8          nor.8x14          nor.8x16
 PC Portuguese   por.8x8          por.8x14          por.8x16
 PC Spanish      spa.8x8          spa.8x14          spa.8x16
 PC Standard     font.8x8         font.8x14         font.8x16

Limitations

The internal and external commands should only be used on Compaq compatible displays.

You must select the mode no9bit before loading ISO8859.* fonts. This is to prevent characters appearing corrupted in certain localized codesets.

Standards conformance

vidi is not part of any currently supported standard; it is an extension of AT&T System V provided by The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.

SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.6 -- 1 August 2000