[mythtv-users] howto prevent console from going to tvout

[Shawn Asmussen]

> I was wondering if anyone knows how to prevent the console from being
> directed to tvout.  Currently I am using the tvout on the PVR350.
> However when things go bad and I lose my networking, I can't get into
> the system to debug it.  I want console to go to the monitor and tvout
> to be used for X.  Is this possible or a serial console is the only
> solution??  Thanks.
>

Below is a comment that is found inside the ivtv source code. Following
those instructions should prevent the ivtv framebuffer from hijacking your
consoles, and also possibly allow you to be able to unload the ivtv-fb
module. The instructions are written for LILO. If you're using grub,
you'll have to slightly adapt them for the grub.conf file instead.

Shawn Asmussen

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A note on unloading the fb driver:

If you want to be able to unload the framebuffer driver (and you aren't
already using fbcon),  add this to your lilo config:

video=vc:x-y

where x is the first fb device to allocate and y is the second. If you
already have a fb driver loaded, fiddle with the numbers so all the consoles
are already allocated. For me, i just set it to 0-0, ie:

in lilo.conf:

image=/vmlinuz
        label=linux
        read-only
        append="root=/dev/hda1 video=vc:0-0"

--OR--
on bootup, do this
LILO: linux video=vc:0-0

according to how i read /usr/src/linux/drivers/video/fbmem.c and
/usr/src/linux/drivers/char/console.c, that should disable the
console hijacks, and allow you to unload the driver.

-tmk