In message <Pine.OSF.4.43.0112040911190.31416-100000@cpu.WPI.EDU>, Ian Cooper w
rites:
>Try the reset command if the screen is garbled.  Often that works.
>

I'll try 'reset' next time it happens, but I don't think that that 
alone will do it.  For example, when the problem occurred yesterday, I 
logged in remotely and killed the login shell on ttyE0.  When I saw 
that 'login' was running, I typed 'smb', and noticed that 'login smb' 
was now running.  But I couldn't get it to accept a password; it just 
showed as 'login'.  Login does set the tty modes completely; I don't 
think there's anything left for 'reset' to correct.  Also, I can't 
switch to other consoles with cntl+alt+Fn.  (Admittedly, the fact that 
I can see 'smb' suggests that the keyboard isn't completely hosed.)

The screen at such times is displaying random patterns, as if the frame 
buffer isn't being read out (or read in) properly.  It's not like there 
are weird characters being echoed.


		--Steve Bellovin, http://www.research.att.com/~smb
		Full text of "Firewalls" book now at http://www.wilyhacker.com