From 7d73b0fd2746cd24c758dd75fc73ac92b5162d0b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Daniel Golle <daniel@makrotopia.org>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:20:37 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Ignore the escape key when the VT shows nothing

Escape toggles between the splash and the details view, guarded on
there being a VT console to show the details on. The guard asks only
whether the local console terminal is a VT, which it is whenever the
kernel has CONFIG_VT and a /dev/tty1 node exists, even where no console
driver draws that VT.

On a system built without a framebuffer console that leaves only the
dummy driver bound, so escape blanks the screen: the splash is torn
down, the details view writes to a VT nobody renders, and the display
stays dark until escape is pressed again.

Require a bound console driver other than the dummy one before treating
a VT as somewhere the details view can be read.

Signed-off-by: Daniel Golle <daniel@makrotopia.org>
---
 src/main.c | 68 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 68 insertions(+)

--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <values.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include <linux/kd.h>
 #include <linux/vt.h>
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@
 #include "ply-progress.h"
 #include "ply-kmsg-reader.h"
 
+#define VT_CONSOLE_DIRECTORY "/sys/class/vtconsole"
 #define BOOT_DURATION_FILE     PLYMOUTH_TIME_DIRECTORY "/boot-duration"
 #define SHUTDOWN_DURATION_FILE PLYMOUTH_TIME_DIRECTORY "/shutdown-duration"
 
@@ -1638,6 +1640,70 @@ toggle_between_splash_and_details (state
         }
 }
 
+static bool
+vt_console_driver_draws (const char *directory)
+{
+        char path[PATH_MAX];
+        char name[64];
+        FILE *file;
+        bool draws;
+
+        snprintf (path, sizeof(path), "%s/bind", directory);
+        file = fopen (path, "r");
+
+        if (file == NULL)
+                return false;
+
+        draws = (fgetc (file) == '1');
+        fclose (file);
+
+        if (!draws)
+                return false;
+
+        snprintf (path, sizeof(path), "%s/name", directory);
+        file = fopen (path, "r");
+
+        if (file == NULL)
+                return false;
+
+        if (fgets (name, sizeof(name), file) == NULL)
+                name[0] = '\0';
+
+        fclose (file);
+
+        return strstr (name, "dummy") == NULL;
+}
+
+/* The dummy console driver puts nothing on screen, so a VT it is the only
+ * driver for cannot show the details view.
+ */
+static bool
+vt_console_is_visible (void)
+{
+        char directory[PATH_MAX];
+        struct dirent *entry;
+        bool visible = false;
+        DIR *consoles;
+
+        consoles = opendir (VT_CONSOLE_DIRECTORY);
+
+        if (consoles == NULL)
+                return true;
+
+        while (!visible && (entry = readdir (consoles)) != NULL) {
+                if (strncmp (entry->d_name, "vtcon", strlen ("vtcon")) != 0)
+                        continue;
+
+                snprintf (directory, sizeof(directory), "%s/%s",
+                          VT_CONSOLE_DIRECTORY, entry->d_name);
+                visible = vt_console_driver_draws (directory);
+        }
+
+        closedir (consoles);
+
+        return visible;
+}
+
 static void
 on_escape_pressed (state_t *state)
 {
@@ -1647,6 +1713,8 @@ on_escape_pressed (state_t *state)
         if (state->local_console_terminal != NULL) {
                 if (!ply_terminal_is_vt (state->local_console_terminal))
                         has_vt_consoles = false;
+                else if (!vt_console_is_visible ())
+                        has_vt_consoles = false;
         } else {
                 has_vt_consoles = false;
         }