VGA text mode

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VGA text mode was introduced in 1987 by IBM as part of the <a href="/facts/Video_Graphics_Array/8GGsGTSc">VGA</a> standard for its <a href="/facts/IBM_PS/2/G299srDC">IBM PS/2</a> computers. Its use on <a href="/facts/IBM_PC_compatible/zGUpl7Sh">IBM PC compatibles</a> was widespread through the 1990s and persists today for some applications on modern computers. The main features of VGA text mode are colored (programmable 16-color <a href="/facts/Palette_(computing)/xwFo1VUI">palette</a>) characters and their background, blinking, various shapes of the <a href="/facts/Cursor_(computers)/bGhgwPSq">cursor</a> (block/underline/hidden static/blinking), and loadable fonts (with various glyph sizes). The <a href="/facts/Linux_console/WpRgbFI9">Linux console</a> traditionally uses hardware VGA text modes, and the <a href="/facts/Win32_console/p8vz2Cdk">Win32 console</a> environment has an ability to switch the screen to text mode for some text window sizes.
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<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p>  Distinctive features of VGA text as it commonly used:</p><p>  Light gray background (normally not white).</p></td></tr><tr><td>Box-drawing.<p>Variousback-/foregroundcombinations.</p></td><td></td><td>Custom/non-ASCII characters<p>CGA–EGA-style 16-color palette for foreground.Blinking text. </p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Cursor. </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

VGA text mode open-in-new

VGA text mode