Unable to open a console terminal

SDL Development
1

Hi, I installed SDL 1.2.8 from source, and now when I try to execute any
game that use SDL I get this error:

"open /dev/sequencer: No such device

Error: I could not initialize video!
The Simple DirectMedia error that occured was:
Unable to open a console terminal"

I can only run the file as root.

I have debian, driver nvidia 6629.

See ya.

2

Hello Gentleman,
I am a newbe in SDL, so perhaps excuse my question:

I cross-compiled the SDL-1.2.9 (and the test*-programms)
for a StrongARM-Target with a normal framebuffer-driver
accessable via “/dev/fb0” (http://www.opentom.org).

And the libs are ok now and also the testprogramms are
running, but they always say:

Couln't initialize SDL: Unable to open a console terminal

./testtypes says:

All data types are the expected size.

Any tip for me? I want to lern how fbdev and SDL are a couple…

Regards,
-Ingo*******************************************
Diese E-Mail enthaelt vertrauliche und/oder rechtlich geschuetzte Informationen. Wenn Sie nicht der richtige Adressat sind oder diese E-Mail irrtuemlich erhalten haben, informieren Sie bitte sofort den Absender und loeschen Sie diese Mail. Das unerlaubte Kopieren sowie die unbefugte Weitergabe dieser Mail ist nicht gestattet.

This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail. Any unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the contents in this e-mail is strictly forbidden.

3

Baab, Ingo wrote:

Hello Gentleman,
I am a newbe in SDL, so perhaps excuse my question:

I cross-compiled the SDL-1.2.9 (and the test*-programms)
for a StrongARM-Target with a normal framebuffer-driver
accessable via “/dev/fb0” (http://www.opentom.org).

And the libs are ok now and also the testprogramms are
running, but they always say:

Couln’t initialize SDL: Unable to open a console terminal

./testtypes says:

All data types are the expected size.

Any tip for me? I want to lern how fbdev and SDL are a couple…

That means it can’t open the keyboard. Do you have a keyboard plugged in ?

Stephane

4

Hi,

I am using SDL on linux. I get error as “Unable to
open a console terminal” on SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO).
I am using direct framebuffer interface. When I look
into the code I see that I could be getting this
because I have no keyboard.

Would anyone know if SDL works on linux devices with
no keyboard? Or is it something else that I am
missing?

Thanks for any advice.____________________________________________________________________________________
Any questions? Get answers on any topic at www.Answers.yahoo.com. Try it now.

5

I am using SDL on linux. I get error as “Unable to
open a console terminal” on SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO).
I am using direct framebuffer interface. When I look
into the code I see that I could be getting this
because I have no keyboard.

I’m not absolutely sure why that happens, but I remember
having seen that long ago, but as wild guess do you
have /dev/console ?

Would anyone know if SDL works on linux devices with
no keyboard? Or is it something else that I am
missing?

Works just fine. We run SDL on a tiny distro of our own
using busybox et al on machines without keyboard.
And we run it both on framebuffer and X.

(we do have keyboard support in kernel, just no
actual devices plugged in)

cheers,
Tommi Kyntola

6

Just try to run your sdl programs as a root (superuser) and it will works
wellOn 12/13/06, Praveen Narayanan wrote:

Hi,

I am using SDL on linux. I get error as “Unable to
open a console terminal” on SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO).
I am using direct framebuffer interface. When I look
into the code I see that I could be getting this
because I have no keyboard.

Would anyone know if SDL works on linux devices with
no keyboard? Or is it something else that I am
missing?

Thanks for any advice.

Any questions? Get answers on any topic at www.Answers.yahoo.com. Try it
now.

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

7

Hello !

Just try to run your sdl programs as a root (superuser) and it will works
well

If this works for you, then you need
to give more permissions on the account
that you normally use to run the programm.

CU

8

Thank you. The kernel did not have virtual console
support and that caused the error.

Appreciate your quick reply and help.

Praveen
— Tommi Kyntola <tommi.kyntola at ray.fi> wrote:>

I am using SDL on linux. I get error as “Unable
to
open a console terminal” on
SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO).
I am using direct framebuffer interface. When I
look
into the code I see that I could be getting this
because I have no keyboard.

I’m not absolutely sure why that happens, but I
remember
having seen that long ago, but as wild guess do you
have /dev/console ?

Would anyone know if SDL works on linux devices
with
no keyboard? Or is it something else that I am
missing?

Works just fine. We run SDL on a tiny distro of our
own
using busybox et al on machines without keyboard.
And we run it both on framebuffer and X.

(we do have keyboard support in kernel, just no
actual devices plugged in)

cheers,
Tommi Kyntola

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

Cheap talk?
Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates.
http://voice.yahoo.com

9

Hi,

I am trying to run SDL on a custom embedded platform, but I have problems
with the console. The device runs a custom linux with kernel 2.6.27. It
comes with a framebuffer, so I cross-compiled SDL with fbcon and directfb
support.

If a start via telnet a little test-program, SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO)
gives me an “Unable to open a console terminal”. Thanks to strace I know
that the reason for this error are several failing ioctls (VT_OPENQRY,
VT_GETSTATE and KDGKBMODE). BTW both drivers (fbcon & directfb) give me
this error.

I also compiled this program for my debian-desktop-machine. If I run it
via ssh, it also returns an “Unable to open a console terminal”. That
makes me wonder if it is possible to run SDL applications via ssh.

Kernel has also support for virtual terminal (I think). But my console
links to the uart. Is that the problem?

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to write my own video driver, which omits
keyboard initialisation?

I really could use some guidance from above…

Thanks and Regards,

 Matthias
10

This usually means that your devices are protected and you need to run your
program as root.On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 6:43 AM, Matthias Simon <matthias.simon at uni-ulm.de>wrote:

Hi,

I am trying to run SDL on a custom embedded platform, but I have problems
with the console. The device runs a custom linux with kernel 2.6.27. It
comes with a framebuffer, so I cross-compiled SDL with fbcon and directfb
support.

If a start via telnet a little test-program, SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO)
gives me an “Unable to open a console terminal”. Thanks to strace I know
that the reason for this error are several failing ioctls (VT_OPENQRY,
VT_GETSTATE and KDGKBMODE). BTW both drivers (fbcon & directfb) give me
this error.

I also compiled this program for my debian-desktop-machine. If I run it
via ssh, it also returns an “Unable to open a console terminal”. That
makes me wonder if it is possible to run SDL applications via ssh.

Kernel has also support for virtual terminal (I think). But my console
links to the uart. Is that the problem?

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to write my own video driver, which omits
keyboard initialisation?

I really could use some guidance from above…

Thanks and Regards,

Matthias

SDL mailing list
SDL at lists.libsdl.org
http://lists.libsdl.org/listinfo.cgi/sdl-libsdl.org

–
-Sam Lantinga, Founder and President, Galaxy Gameworks LLC

11

Hello again,

I found a solution. There were two different errors:

  1. on my local machine I didn’t run SDL with uid=0
  2. though I had uid=0 on my embedded device and my kernel had virtual
    console support, there were no /dev/tty* files.

A very typic layer 8 problem

Thanks & Regards,

Matthias