How do I change terminal to 80x24

[JRV]

Wait, there's an error in your /etc/default/grub. This

GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD=keep

should be

GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

You also can set it independent of Grub menu screen resolution:

GRUB_GFXMODE=1024x768x16
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=640x480x16

Now the text is still real small and it says:

* starting [ OK ]
mountall: Disconnected from Plymouth
mount: unknown file system type 'smbfs'
mountall: mount /mnt/mp3 [1317] terminated with status 32
mount: unknown file system type 'smbfs'
mountall: mount /mnt/mp3 [1611] terminated with status 32
mount: unknown file system type 'smbfs'
mountall: mount /mnt/mp3 [1804] terminated with status 32
mount: unknown file system type 'smbfs'

I commented out the line GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=640x480x16 and no longer get the error messages.

[sudodus]

Are you running a desktop or server version of Ubuntu? If desktop, since this text screen mode is so stubborn, would it be an alternative to run a terminal window with coarse font, for example

xterm -fa default -fs 20

or something similar (but via the settings menu) in your standard terminal window?

[JRV]

Thats a big improvment, thank you.

I'm leaving the thread open for a few days to see if somone knows how to do it.

[sudodus]

And if you specify your computer and monitor, it will make it easier for new people to help. Because the things we suggest (at least what I suggest) work at our computers. Someone may recognize your hardware and know how to manage it.

- computer brand and model
- motherboard
- cpu
- ram
- graphics card or chip
- monitor brand and model
- version of Ubuntu (12.04 LTS, 12.10, ...)
- flavour of Ubuntu (standard 'vanilla' Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, ...)

If you don't know or remember, use lshw and hardinfo

sudo lshw>lshw.txt

and attach the file lshw.txt to a reply
and

hardinfo

(you may need to install it)

sudo apt-get install hardinfo