Fedora 45 beta drags the Linux console into the 21st century (Register)
The Register looks forward to the upcoming Fedora 45 release. The biggest surprise is that Linux's legacy in-kernel console – the text-mode interface normally hidden beneath the GUI – has been replaced with a software-controlled alternative. The replacement is kmscon , a userspace terminal emulator that has been in development for more than a decade.
Fedora Linux 45 beta has been released, bringing several changes to the operating system. One of the most significant updates is the replacement of the legacy in-kernel console with a software-controlled alternative called kmscon. This userspace terminal emulator has been in development for over a decade and uses the kernel's Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) and Kernel Mode Setting (KMS) facilities to configure the display.
According to The Register, kmscon offers better internationalization support, including improved Unicode support, which will be beneficial for users working with scripts and alphabets beyond US English. Additionally, kmscon has multiseat support, allowing multiple users to share one PC simultaneously with separate keyboards and displays.
The development of kmscon began in 2012, with developer David Herrmann initially working on it. After a few years, Herrmann moved on to other projects, but another developer, Peifeng Yu, maintained a fork for a decade until the original team resumed work last year. Fedora 45 beta also includes Linux kernel 7.2 and a release-candidate build of GNOME 51.
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