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and how do we deal with it since we only have virtual terminals?? btw what are virtual terminals for? apart from logging into them when your GUI freezes?

Hinklo
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    @Alvar The term "virtual" originates from UNIX times, when terminals were real equipment used to connect to a UNIX machine used by multiple users. Here's an example – Aurelia Nov 11 '13 at 12:14
  • @Alvar No - think of it as an alternative to monitor and keyboard. (they used serial ports, mostly) All the control characters that enable terminal applications to do fancy stuff (like aptitude or any editor) originate from functionality that was baked into these terminals. A software-terminal is therefore virtual. Some Software-Terminals also call themselves "Terminal Emulators" for that reason. – Aurelia Nov 11 '13 at 12:20
  • @Damon Gant, they look like a keyboard and monitor to me, why are they real while a keyboard and a monitor are virtual? – Hinklo Nov 11 '13 at 12:22
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    @Hinklo "Real" Terminals are basically small computers themselves. You can think of them as "telnet over serial port" single-purpose machines. The set of characters that would not just be printed out on the screen but control the layout are the terminals responsibility to understand. A virtual terminal is a simply a programm that will do the same while being software instead of hardware. – Aurelia Nov 11 '13 at 12:27
  • @Damon Gant: I can't thank you enough for your answer! I never knew they were computers themselves – Hinklo Nov 11 '13 at 12:34

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