GNU bug report logs - #35212
problem docs vs. implementation

Message received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org:

Received: (at submit) by debbugs.gnu.org; 10 Apr 2019 00:32:05 +0000
From debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org Tue Apr 09 20:32:05 2019
Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:52208 helo=debbugs.gnu.org)
	by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2)
	(envelope-from <debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org>)
	id 1hE19p-0003Nu-0w
	for submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org; Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:32:05 -0400
Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([209.51.188.92]:49900)
 by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2)
 (envelope-from <coreutils@HIDDEN>) id 1hE19m-0003HR-Ej
 for submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org; Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:32:03 -0400
Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]:54868)
 by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32)
 (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from <coreutils@HIDDEN>) id 1hE19h-0003xY-7v
 for submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org; Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:31:57 -0400
Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([209.51.188.92]:36049)
 by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71)
 (envelope-from <coreutils@HIDDEN>) id 1hE19e-00062L-UQ
 for bug-coreutils@HIDDEN; Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:31:57 -0400
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.2 (2011-06-06) on eggs.gnu.org
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.0 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20 autolearn=disabled
 version=3.3.2
Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71)
 (envelope-from <coreutils@HIDDEN>) id 1hE19e-0003tW-6f
 for bug-coreutils@HIDDEN; Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:31:54 -0400
Received: from ishtar.tlinx.org ([173.164.175.65]:49898
 helo=Ishtar.sc.tlinx.org)
 by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32)
 (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from <coreutils@HIDDEN>) id 1hE19d-0003oy-Qu
 for bug-coreutils@HIDDEN; Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:31:54 -0400
Received: from [192.168.3.12] (Athenae [192.168.3.12])
 by Ishtar.sc.tlinx.org (8.14.7/8.14.4/SuSE Linux 0.8) with ESMTP id
 x3A0Vm3e070421
 for <bug-coreutils@HIDDEN>; Tue, 9 Apr 2019 17:31:51 -0700
Message-ID: <5CAD3970.3080500@HIDDEN>
Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2019 17:31:44 -0700
From: L A Walsh <coreutils@HIDDEN>
User-Agent: Thunderbird
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Coreutils <bug-coreutils@HIDDEN>
Subject: problem docs vs. implementation
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.2.x-3.x (no
 timestamps) [generic]
X-Received-From: 173.164.175.65
X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6.x
X-Spam-Score: 0.0 (/)
X-Debbugs-Envelope-To: submit
X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18
Precedence: list
List-Id: <debbugs-submit.debbugs.gnu.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/debbugs-submit>, 
 <mailto:debbugs-submit-request <at> debbugs.gnu.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/debbugs-submit/>
List-Post: <mailto:debbugs-submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
List-Help: <mailto:debbugs-submit-request <at> debbugs.gnu.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/debbugs-submit>, 
 <mailto:debbugs-submit-request <at> debbugs.gnu.org?subject=subscribe>
Errors-To: debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Sender: "Debbugs-submit" <debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
X-Spam-Score: -1.0 (-)

My console becomes 121 characters wide when I turn on
unicode, but stty says it is 132 characters.

Looking at the stty manpage, I see:
Special settings:
...
       * cols N
              tell the kernel that the terminal has N columns

       * columns N
              same as cols N
---
I thought 'cool', I'll tell the kernel its only 121 characters.

I end up with :
> echo $TTY
> /dev/tty1
> stty cols 121
stty: 'standard input': Invalid argument

So .. why can't I tell the kernel how many columns my tty is?