Dimmed Virtual Consoles

[dougbmorris]

I like to run startx and switch from the desktop virtual terminal to any of the virtual consoles. The new behavior after updating is that not long after XWindows is up and running, the virtual consoles dim way down.

 

Any ideas on where to look for the problem and solution?

 

I don't see how setterm -half-bright is the cause or the solution. I don't see a kernel setting in the new 3.15.1 kernel using the console menu via genkernel. I am not sure if the switch from 3.15.0 (no longer in portage tree) had anything to do with it, or perhaps some other package update. I don't see what I can config in /etc to solve this problem.

 

My eclipse-sdk-bin-4.3.1 is acting buggy now since this recent update too. It was updated some time back. I think I will try to downgrade icedtea-bin from 6.1.13.3-r1 to 6.1.13.3 and see if I notice a difference. I don't expect it is a related issue, but I can't know for sure. The item icons in Xfce desktop submenu "Development" don't show up now. The icon files exist in the file system and are accessible for any process to read(r_x). The paths from the relevant /usr/share/applications/*.desktop text files seem correct. Again, probably unrelated. I don't see that a dump of emerge --info and the like is useful.

 

Benevolent Dictator For Life, that's pretty funny, and logical.

[dougbmorris]

My dimmed virtual consoles issue has apparently been resolved by updating to the 3.18.1 kernel. When I updated my @world, I got a message, so I also added the VHOST_NET module (kernel accelerator for virtio net), and maybe that fixed the console problem, but I doubt it. I gave up on virtualization but maybe I will try again later. Anyway, updated my kernel and @world and the problem went away.

[drobbins]

On the Java front, I recommend using a Oracle JVM or JDK.

[dougbmorris]

Thanks for the recommendation on Java environment! I know you know your stuff. I went back to my compiled 3.15.0 kernel and Eclipse is working as well as it ever has. Still get the dimming on vts. Happy summer, everyone!

[dougbmorris]

# java -version
* Home for VM 'icedtea-bin-6' does not exist: //usr/lib/jvm/icedtea-bin-6
* Invalid System VM: icedtea-bin-6
# eselect java-vm list
Available Java Virtual Machines:
  [1]   oracle-jdk-bin-1.7

# eselect java-vm set 1
!!! Error: Usage [user|system] [vm]
exiting
# eselect java-vm show
Current system-vm
  icedtea-bin-6             
Current user-vm
  (unset)

Wondering if anything was done to push through oracle's java 1.7?

 

Just did update. I had icedtea 1.6 but it got dropped and replaced by oracle 1.7. Now at command line java -version gives me error and Eclipse won't start. Not sure if this qualifies as a bug to post at http://bugs.funtoo.org/secure/Dashboard.jspa per the recent post on "News and Announcements". (Thanks for hard work, Daniel.) I installed virtual/jdk, but that didn't help. The eselect java-vm does not seem to be working (see bash excerpt above). If I use eselect show, I get something about user-vm, but that 'extra module' does not show up when I run 'eselect' without any args.

 

Eclipse popup says:

A Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK)
must be available in order to run Eclipse. No Java virtual machine
was found after searching the following locations:
/opt/eclipse-sdk-bin-4.3///default.ee
/opt/eclipse-sdk-bin-4.3///java
/opt/eclipse-sdk-bin-4.3///libjvm.so

I will take another look at this tomorrow when I am more awake.

[dougbmorris]

Usage of eselect appears to have changed. Nothing like a good nite's sleep prior to doing admin work.

me@mine ~ $ eselect java-vm help
Manage the Java system and user VM
Usage: eselect java-vm <action> <options>

Standard actions:
help Display help text
usage Display usage information
version Display version information

Extra actions:
list List Available Virtual Machines
set Set a new system or user vm
show Show the current vm
me@mine ~ $ eselect java-vm set help
!!! Error: Usage [user|system] [vm]
exiting
me@mine ~ $ eselect system vm set 1
!!! Error: Can't load module system
exiting
me@mine ~ $ eselect java-vm system set 1
!!! Error: Action system unknown
exiting
me@mine ~ $ eselect java-vm set system 1
!!! Error: Sorry, you don't have enough premission to set system
exiting
me@mine ~ $ su
Password:
mine me # eselect java-vm set system 1
mine me # eselect java-vm list
Available Java Virtual Machines:
[1] oracle-jdk-bin-1.7 system-vm

mine me # java -version
java version "1.7.0_55"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_55-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.55-b03, mixed mode)

Basically, noodle around with eselect until you figure out a syntax it likes. I got my Java working again. Maybe you can too! :)

[drobbins]

The one change I made to java during the massive collection of updates was to mask virtual/jvm and virtual/jdk less than 1.7.

[dougbmorris]

Yes, I should have realized that. I had wondered why the icedtea-bin-6.whatever uninstalled. For the record, I was referring to my own alertness which helped me guess how to use eselect. Since eselect is so convenient, I figured it was funtoo but not gentoo, but I see with a quick search it is not. It's kinda like boot-update. You are the best a stitching together a linux distro IMO. So what's with those upstream people anyway? :huh: (I kid. I kid. I'm greatful to the entire Linux, and Gnu, community.)