# Unicode/UTF-8 in the Linux (framebuffer) console?

## Leffe

First of all, I want UTF-8 in the Linux console  :Smile: 

If I remember correctly, there is a limit on the characters avaible in the Linux console, 400 or maybe 256, I think that was is kernel limitation.

Are there any workarounds or something? And what about the framebuffer, I'd imagine the solution would be a bit easier if you could use the power of the framebuffer.

And how does X do it? Through it's terminal emulators? How comes normal terminals can't do it... or can they  :Smile: ?

Hm, enough questions for now.

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## bmichaelsen

 *Quote:*   

> If I remember correctly, there is a limit on the characters avaible in the Linux console

 

EDIT: 256

```
    vc->vc_font.charcount = 256; /* FIXME  Need to support more fonts */
```

from /usr/src/linux/drivers/video/console/fbcon.c line 620

 *Quote:*   

> Are there any workarounds or something?

 

Nope, this a hardware limit of the framebuffer text implementation, I think.

 *Quote:*   

> And how does X do it? Through it's terminal emulators?

 

Yes - how else?

 *Quote:*   

> How comes normal terminals can't do it... or can they Smile? 

 

Short answer: "Normal" terminals expect 1 byte=1 character, which isnt the case with UTF-8.

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Make_your_system_use_unicode/utf-8

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## Leffe

 *bmichaelsen wrote:*   

>  *Quote:*   If I remember correctly, there is a limit on the characters avaible in the Linux console 
> 
> EDIT: 256
> 
> ```
> ...

 

I checked it up, and VGA has a 512 character limitation :/

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Unicode-HOWTO-2.html#ss2.1

 *Quote:*   

>  *Quote:*   And how does X do it? Through it's terminal emulators? 
> 
> Yes - how else?
> 
>  *Quote:*   How comes normal terminals can't do it... or can they Smile?  
> ...

 

Thank you!

I noticed there were a few fb-enhanced programs in app-i18n other than fbiterm, which I never got working, that could work... but they all need fonts from X or won't compile/work  :Smile:  I think I'm going to install some kind of X11 implementation though.

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## Leffe

app-i18n/jfbterm handles unicode great!! As long as you have an unicode font like media-fonts/unifont or what it could be called  :Smile: 

One issue though, less didn't like 'en_US.utf8', it wanted 'en_US.UTF-8' instead to display unicode... I should patch it.

Also, is there some browser other than w3m that handles unicode nicely, preferably without any configuring at all  :Smile:  I haven't been able to get anything out of links (the links you get when you emerge links), maybe some other version has it? And how about lynx, ... Never mind, it was easy to enable it there... I like Links still though. What versions are in portage anyway?

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