source: chapter09/consoled.xml

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  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
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<sect1 id="ch-config-console" revision="systemd">
  <?dbhtml filename="console.html"?>

  <title>Configuring the Linux Console</title>

  <indexterm zone="ch-config-console">
    <primary sortas="d-console">console</primary>
    <secondary>configuring</secondary>
  </indexterm>

  <para>This section discusses how to configure the
  <command>systemd-vconsole-setup</command> system service, which configures
  the virtual console font and console keymap.</para>

  <para>The <command>systemd-vconsole-setup</command> service reads the
  <filename>/etc/vconsole.conf</filename> file for configuration
  information. Decide which keymap and screen font will be used. Various
  language-specific HOWTOs can also help with this, see <ulink
  url="https://tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/other-lang.html"/>.
  Examine the output of <command>localectl list-keymaps</command> for a list of
  valid console keymaps. Look in the
  <filename class="directory">/usr/share/consolefonts</filename>
  directory for valid screen fonts.</para>

  <para>The <filename>/etc/vconsole.conf</filename> file should contain lines
  of the form: <envar>VARIABLE=value</envar>. The following variables are recognized:</para>

  <variablelist>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>KEYMAP</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>This variable specifies the key mapping table for the keyboard. If
        unset, it defaults to <literal>us</literal>.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>KEYMAP_TOGGLE</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>This variable can be used to configure a second toggle keymap and
        is unset by default.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>FONT</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>This variable specifies the font used by the virtual
        console.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>FONT_MAP</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>This variable specifies the console map to be used.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>FONT_UNIMAP</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>This variable specifies the Unicode font map.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

  </variablelist>

  <para>We'll use <literal>C.UTF-8</literal> as the locale for interactive
  sessions in the Linux console in <xref role='.'
  linkend='ch-config-locale'/>  The console fonts shipped by
  the <application>Kbd</application> package containing the glyphs for
  all characters from the program messages in the <literal>C.UTF-8</literal>
  locale are <filename>LatArCyrHeb*.psfu.gz</filename>,
  <filename>LatGrkCyr*.psfu.gz</filename>,
  <filename>Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz</filename>, and
  <filename>pancyrillic.f16.psfu.gz</filename> in
  <filename class='directory'>/usr/share/consolefonts</filename> (the other
  shipped console fonts lack glyphs of some characters like the Unicode
  left/right quotation marks and the Unicode English dash). So set one of
  them, for example <filename>Lat2-Terminus16.psfu.gz</filename> as the
  default console font:</para>

  <!-- We are using "nodump" for general settings, but not examples.  This
       is ironic, but needed for the compatibility with jhalfs!  -->
<screen role='nodump'><userinput>echo <literal>FONT=Lat2-Terminus16</literal> &gt; /etc/vconsole.conf</userinput></screen>

  <para>An example for a German keyboard and console is given below:</para>
<!-- This is what is used by jhalfs for creating the vconsole.conf file.
     Whenever you want to change the following, please inform the jhalfs
     maintainer(s). -->
<screen><userinput>cat &gt; /etc/vconsole.conf &lt;&lt; "EOF"
<literal>KEYMAP=de-latin1
FONT=Lat2-Terminus16</literal>
EOF</userinput></screen>

  <para>You can change KEYMAP value at runtime by using the
  <command>localectl</command> utility:</para>

<screen role="nodump"><userinput>localectl set-keymap MAP</userinput></screen>

  <note><para>Please note that the <command>localectl</command> command
  doesn't work in the chroot environment.  It can only
  be used after the LFS system is booted with systemd.</para></note>

  <para>You can also use <command>localectl</command> utility with the
  corresponding parameters to change X11 keyboard layout, model, variant
  and options:</para>

<screen role="nodump"><userinput>localectl set-x11-keymap LAYOUT [MODEL] [VARIANT] [OPTIONS]</userinput></screen>

  <para>To list possible values for <command>localectl set-x11-keymap</command>
  parameters, run <command>localectl</command> with parameters listed below:
  </para>

  <variablelist>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>list-x11-keymap-models</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>Shows known X11 keyboard mapping models.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>list-x11-keymap-layouts</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>Shows known X11 keyboard mapping layouts.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>list-x11-keymap-variants</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>Shows known X11 keyboard mapping variants.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>list-x11-keymap-options</term>
      <listitem>
        <para>Shows known X11 keyboard mapping options.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

  </variablelist>

  <note><para>Using any of the parameters listed above requires the
  XKeyboard-Config package from BLFS.</para></note>

</sect1>