Knoppix 6.4.3 external monitor: only 30 lines used

I always start with knoppix 2 to get nice sparse working environment.
All the following is *not using X*.
Version 6.4.3 knows when my laptop is connected to an external monitor and diverts straight to it. (Good!)
BUT
However many additional cheatcodes I try, only 30 lines of the screen are used, though the typeface is nice and compact. Suspect width is restricted too as (with wide output) I get "early" word wrap. Poss only ?80 characters (sorry: ought to have counted: haven't).
Effectively, only the top left-hand quadrant of the screen is utilised.
I've tried screen=1280x1024, fb1280x1024, vga=normal, vga=733 all to no avail.
Any ideas?
This screen is 1280x1024; I've another one that is 1680x1050.
Fergus

May not be the most elegant solution, but you can try manually set up COLUMNS and LINES :-

# echo $COLUMNS
# echo $LINES
# LINES=50
# COLUMNS=100
# echo $LINES $COLUMNS

Perhaps 'resize' will do it properly for you? I don't know, but you can try :-

# eval `resize`

Thank you kl522 for suggestion.
Unfortunately no change: echo $COLUMNS $LINES reveals that initially both are set high anyway - but not implemented.
Changing them triggered no implementation.
The "resize" command is understood neither by 6.4.3 CD nor by 6.4.3 DVD.
But thanks anyway. Will keep watching and hoping.
Fergus

How about these :-

# stty rows 50
# stty columns 160

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fergus

This screen is 1280x1024

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Have you tried vga=ask? According to this, you could also try vga=794...