Colours with Linux terminals: How to change the text-mode default from white-on-black 6. How to change the text-mode default from white-on-blackYou will need to tell the terminal driver code that you want another default. There exists no standard way of doing this, but in case of Linux you have the setterm program."setterm" uses the information in the terminal database to set the attributes. Selections are done like setterm -foreground black -background white -storewhere the "-store" besides the actual change makes it the default for the current console as well. This requires that the current terminal (TERM environment variable) is described "well enough" in the termcap database. If setterm for some reason does not work, here are some alternatives:6.1 XtermOne of these xterms should be available and at least one of them support colour. xterm -fg white -bg blue4 color_xterm -fg white -bg blue4 color-xterm -fg white -bg blue4 nxterm -fg white -bg blue4where 'color_xterm' supports the colour version of 'ls'. This particular choice resembles the colours used on an SGI.6.2 Virtual console.You may modify the kernel once and for all, as well as providing a run-time default for the virtual consoles with an escape sequence. I recommend the kernel patch if you have compiled your own kernel.The kernel source file is /usr/src/linux/drivers/char/console.c around line 1940, where you should modify def_color = 0x07; /* white */ ulcolor = 0x0f; /* bold white */ halfcolor = 0x08; /* grey */as appropriate. I use white on blue with def_color = 0x17; /* white */ ulcolor = 0x1f; /* bold white */ halfcolor = 0x18; /* grey */The numbers are the attribute codes used by the video card in hexadecimal: the most significant digit (the "1" in the example colours above) is the background; the least significant the foreground. 0 = black, 1 = blue, 2 = green, 3 = cyan, 4 = red, 5 = purple, 6 = brown/yellow, 7 = white. Add 8 to get "bright" colours. Note that, in most cases, a bright background == blinking characters, dull background. (From [e-mail]).You may also supply a new run-time default for a virtual console, on a per-display basis with the non-standard ANSI sequence (found by browsing the kernel sources) ESC [ 8 ]which sets the default to the current fore- and background colours. Then the Reset Attributes string (ESC [ m) selects these colours instead of white on black.You will need to actually echo this string to the console each time you reboot. Depending on what you use your Linux box for, several places may be appropriate:/etc/issueThis is where "Welcome to Linux xx.yy" is displayed under Slackware, and that is a good choice for stand-alone equipment (and probably be a pestilence for users logging in with telnet). This file is created at boottime (Slackware in /etc/rc.d/rc.S; Redhat in /etc/rc.d/rc.local), and you should modify lines looking somewhat like echo ""> /etc/issue echo Welcome to Linux `/bin/uname -a | /bin/cut -d\ -f3`. >> /etc/issueto ESCAPE="<replace with a single escape character here>" echo "${ESCAPE}[H${ESCAPE}[37;44m${ESCAPE}[8]${ESCAPE}[2J"> /etc/issue echo Welcome to Linux `/bin/uname -a | /bin/cut -d\ -f3`. >> /etc/issueThis code will home the cursor, set the colour (here white on blue), save this selection and clean the rest of the screen. The modification takes effect after the next reboot. Remember to insert the _literal_ escape character in the file with C-q in emacs or control-v in vi, as apparently the sh used for executing this script does not understand the /033 syntax./etc/profile or .profile if [ "$TERM" = "console" ]; then echo "\033[37;44m\033[8]" # # or use setterm. setterm -foreground white -background blue -store fi/etc/login or .login if ( "$TERM" == "console" ) then echo "\033[37;44m\033[8]" # or use setterm. setterm -foreground white -background blue -store endif6.3 Remote loginYou should be able to use the setterm program as shown above. Again, this requires that the remote machine knows enough about your terminal, and that the terminal emulator providing the login supports colour. In my experience the best vt100 emulation currently available for other platforms are:MS-DOS: MS-Kermit (free, not a Microsoft product)Windows 95/NT: Kermit/95 (shareware)OS/2: Kermit/95 (shareware). Note though that the standard telnet understands colours and can be customized locally.See http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ for details about Kermit. -