Achieving Authentic 80x25 DOS-Style Console on Modern Linux Systems

Here, in classic Goerzen deep dive fashion, is more information than you knew you wanted about a topic you've probably never thought of.

I had previously tried and failed to get an actual 80x25 Linux console, but I've since figured it out!

This post is about the Linux text console – not X or Wayland. We're going to get the console right without using those systems.

These instructions are for Debian trixie, but should be broadly applicable.

I found it pretty interesting, because it took me down a rabbit hole of subsystems I've never worked with much and a mishmash of 1980s and 2020s tech.