Bug#862857: vim: LOG_ALERT unable to open gpm console, check your /dev filesystem!

[Alan Jenkins]

Package: vim
Version: 2:8.0.0197-4
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

This happens when running `vi` inside a systemd-nspawn container.
`vi` is able to run, but each time it logs three lines in
attention-getting RED (loglevel alert) in the system log.


strace shows that vi looks for /dev/vc/0 and /dev/tty0.
Neither of these exist in /dev, this is expected in a container.

This is triggered by some debian-enabled configuration.
Running `vim -u NORC -U NORC -N` does not triger it.

That said, I think it's a bug in the code:
I don't understand why vi thinks it's a good idea to try and
open some specific physical device, when vi might be running
inside a multiplexer like screen or tmux which implements a
windowing system.


The log messages are:

May 17 16:55:36 unstable vim[761]: unable to open gpm console, check your /dev filesystem!
May 17 16:55:36 unstable vim[761]: *** err
May 17 16:55:36 unstable vim[761]: Oh, oh, it's an error! possibly I die!
 

-- Package-specific info:

--- real paths of main Vim binaries ---
/usr/bin/vi is /usr/bin/vim.basic
/usr/bin/vim is /usr/bin/vim.basic

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 9.0
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing')
Architecture: armel
 (armv5tel)

Kernel: Linux 3.16.0-4-kirkwood
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages vim depends on:
ii  libacl1      2.2.52-3+b1
ii  libc6        2.24-10
ii  libgpm2      1.20.4-6.2+b1
ii  libselinux1  2.6-3+b1
ii  libtinfo5    6.0+20161126-1
ii  vim-common   2:8.0.0197-4
ii  vim-runtime  2:8.0.0197-4

vim recommends no packages.

Versions of packages vim suggests:
pn  ctags        <none>
pn  vim-doc      <none>
pn  vim-scripts  <none>

-- no debconf information