What is "+" on mouse cursor?

[Derek Martin]

On Tue, Nov 15, 2005 at 06:45:21AM -0500, David Niemi wrote:
> Also, for future reference what is it called when one Ctrl-Alt-F1's or
> Ctrl-Alt-F7's? 

It's called switching "virtual consoles" (or VCs for short).  By
default on Fedora (and I think most Linux systems) there are usually 6
defined, plus X uses the 7th when it starts at boot time (or when
started manually).  

These virtual consoles are defined in /etc/inittab, and you can have
more or less of them if you like, up to 12.  Technically I believe the
Linux kernel allows for more of them than that, but since the method
of switching to them involves the key sequence <Alt>-<Fx>, and most
keyboards only have 12 function keys, that seems like the practical
limit.  There must be a way to switch to the others, but I've never
come across such a way...  I can imagine it might have to do with
remapping the keyboard somehow.

Note: if you are at a text console already, the key sequence to switch
to another VC is <Alt>-<Fx>, though holding down the <Ctrl> key as
well also (usually) works.  If you are in an X console, the sequence
<Ctrl>-<Alt>-<Fx> is necessary.

Also note that, by supplying appropriate arguments to the startx
command (or some similar method of starting the X window system), it
is possible to have more than one X console (session) as well!  But
since X already provides means of having more than one terminal window
(plus the "screen" program to provide multiple sessions within one
terminal window), and more than one desktop screen, this usually isn't
especially useful.

-- 
Derek D. Martin
http://www.pizzashack.org/
GPG Key ID: 0x81CFE75D

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