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<H2><A NAME="s20">20. Screen dumps</A></H2>

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console!screenshots, obtaining
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screenshots!obtaining from console
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<P><CODE>setterm -dump</CODE> <I>N</I> will dump the contents of the
screen of <CODE>/dev/tty</CODE><I>N</I> to a file <CODE>screen.dump</CODE>
in the current directory. See setterm(1).
<P>The current contents of the screen of <CODE>/dev/tty</CODE><I>N</I>
can be accessed using the device <CODE>/dev/vcs</CODE><I>N</I>
(where `vcs' stands for `virtual console screen').
For example, you could have a clock program that displays the
current time in the upper right hand corner of the console screen
(see the program <CODE>vcstime</CODE> in <CODE>kbd-0.96.tar.gz</CODE>).
Just dumping the contents goes with <CODE>cat /dev/vcs</CODE><I>N</I>.
These device files <CODE>/dev/vcs</CODE><I>N</I> do not contain
newlines, and do not contain attributes, like colors. From a program
it is usually better to use <CODE>/dev/vcsa</CODE><I>N</I>
(`virtual console screen with attributes') instead - it starts with
a header giving the number of rows and columns and the location
of the cursor.
See vcs(4).
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