[Bug 884434] Re: Getty: Provide text for users who accidentally hit ctrl+alt+f1 to guide them to hit ctrl+alt+f7

[Scott Ritchie]

So, some complications:

1) Getty doesn't currently use gettext for translations, but this shouldn't be a problem
2) The key sequence needed to escape isn't always ctrl+alt+f7, only usually so.  Occasionally the desktop session is on a different VT.
3) Getty shows this text on server console logins, which are not useful for this change since there is no desktop.
4) Getty's /etc/issue text is a static file only read once during boot, and we may need this text to be dynamic.  It supports variable substitution, however, the text may be output before the desktuserop user actually logs in.

The right thing to do would be to determine if a desktop vt exists
(whether logged in or not), and then display the text pointing to
ctrl+alt+f-whatever based on that VT.   However, if getty comes up
first, then we may very well have to output this text before there is a
desktop session on a VT at all.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/884434

Title:
  Getty: Provide text for users who accidentally hit ctrl+alt+f1 to
  guide them to hit ctrl+alt+f7

Status in “util-linux” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  If you hit Ctrl+Alt+F1 through F6 to bring up a virtual terminal you currently see text along the lines of:
  Ubuntu 11.10 hostname tty1
  hostname login:

  Users who accidentally reach this screen are left confused and often assume they broke something and simply restart with the power button.  We should provide text that, in order of priority:
   * Directs a user to press ctrl+alt+f7 if they don't know what to do
   * Briefly explains what the virtual terminals are and why they're there
   * Provides the relevant system information (do we even need Ubuntu version?)

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
  Package: util-linux 2.19.1-2ubuntu3
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic i686
  ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Mon Oct 31 17:25:16 2011
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: util-linux
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-19 (12 days ago)

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