mapscrn
loads output character translation maps
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
mapscrn [options] mapfile
DESCRIPTION
mapscrn loads a screen output character mapping table for the Linux text console. The table tells the kernel how to translate the bytes written to /dev/ttyn into glyph indices in the currently loaded console font. Together with loadkeys (input mapping) and setfont (glyphs), it controls the legacy 8-bit console pipeline.To return to the identity mapping, load the trivial table (e.g. mapscrn trivial); there is no dedicated "clear" flag.
PARAMETERS
MAPFILE
Screen mapping table to load. Either an absolute path or a name resolved under the kbd consoletrans directory (e.g. /usr/share/kbd/consoletrans/). Files may be 256-byte binary, 512-byte (Unicode) binary, or a textual mapping.-o FILE, --output=FILE
Save the previous mapping table to FILE before loading the new one.-C DEV, --console=DEV
Apply the change to the named console device (default: current TTY).-v, --verbose
Verbose output.-V, --version
Print version and exit.-h, --help
Print usage and exit.
CAVEATS
The functionality of mapscrn is now built into setfont — modern kbd installations keep mapscrn only for backwards compatibility. The command applies only to Linux text VTs (not to terminal emulators or framebuffer terminals such as fbterm). On UTF-8 consoles it is rarely needed; load a Unicode map (-u to setfont) instead. Requires sufficient privileges to write to the console.
HISTORY
mapscrn is part of the kbd package, the standard Linux console keyboard and character utilities maintained by Alexey Gladkov and others.
SEE ALSO
setfont(8), loadkeys(1), showconsolefont(8)
