[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#547079: Bug#547079: login: Should set the iutf8 tty c_iflag if the locale is utf8

[Mike Frysinger]

On Thursday 17 September 2009 03:55:58 Samuel Thibault wrote:
> Mike Frysinger, le Wed 16 Sep 2009 22:05:59 -0400, a écrit :
> > this is why the `unicode_start` and `unicode_stop` programs exist -- for
> > people to dynamically change the console input mode.
> 
> Normal users shouldn't have to know they have to start it.

i was giving you background information on the problem and the current 
"standard".  and how to change things dynamically.

> > and why the keyboard/console font init scripts exist -- to set the
> > defaults. and why the kernel now defaults all consoles to iutf8 on by
> > default.
> 
> Except that getty drops the flag.

so here's a crazy idea: fix getty instead of throwing hacks around packages 
that have no business mucking with these things.  login/pam are there to do 
authentication only, not screw with the terminal.

> > perhaps you meant to file a bug about agetty not preserving the IUTF8
> > flag.
> 
> As I said in my bug report, getty has always been clearing all tty flags
> to restart the termios settings from scratch.  We can try, but I fear
> they won't accept it.

why ?  getty is wrong and should be fixed.  i doubt the util-linux guys would 
reject a patch that preserved the UTF8 bit.  i dont know why you think it's ok 
to throw fragile hacks into unrelated packages instead of fixing the real 
source of the problem.

> Also, think about a serial console. Should the kernel also default tty
> parameters with iutf8 there?  It doesn't know how the terminal plugged
> to it is configured.  Getty run on it doesn't know which locale will be
> used so can't set it.  Only login has some chance to know which locale
> is being configured on the system.

that is the problem of the kernel serial layer and/or init scripts and/or 
shell login scripts.  i dont know what the kernel defaults serial tty's to, 
just that they've recently changed the vt default (maybe it was a global 
default).  if the defaults arent appropriate, then configure your system's kbd 
scripts appropriately.  if you want to handle a system where unicode and non-
unicode people will be operating, then you can tweak the login scripts to run 
the appropriate dynamic scripts (like unicode_start/unicode_stop), or request 
those packages be updated to do this automatically based on the locale.
-mike
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