In thesedays of 21 inch monitors many pepole are asking the question "how do
i get something like 50 lines of text in my Text console's".
There are a few different ways, i prefer to do it using the console drivers
from within the kernel itself.

First off, your kernel quite possably has all thats needed, most distro's
have the needed stuff compiled into thier distro installed kernel, so we
could try that first.

To achive that we Edit /etc/lilo.conf.

A typical entery would be;

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.19-pre9
        label=2.4.19-pre9
        vga=791
        read-only
        root=/dev/hdb6

Note the line above, vga=791 thats, 1064x768x64k
Here is a full list of possabilitys.

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga = 791
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769

You can place the above in your /etc/lilo.conf file and uncomment the mode
you require, then it is valid for all kernels, be carefull here because you
may well have a custom kernel WITHOUT the needed driver, if a high
resolution is choosen without the needed driver in the kernel all you will
get is a blank screen at boottime. So be carefull.

The best way is to use "vga=ask" you simply choose one driver at bootime, if
it is not a valid mode then you will be told so, simply choose again.
After one has found the mode one wants and is satisfied with it, then one
can define it in lilo.conf and it will use that resolution at bootime without
asking.

--------

Now to compile a custom kernel for console mode higher resolution;
cd /usr/src/linux
Edit the Makefile on line 4
EXTRAVERSION = -vga
Note, -vga is simply a name, you may call it what you want.
save file;
make config 
choose whatever you need for your kernel when you come across the following;

VGA text console (CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE) [N/y/?] 
type "y" as answer to the above.

You will thne get the submenu, here is a list of what i define, note not all
of the options are needed, but are there as an example.

CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y
# CONFIG_MDA_CONSOLE is not set
CONFIG_FB=y
CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
# CONFIG_FB_PM2 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ATY is not set
CONFIG_FB_VESA=y
# CONFIG_FB_VGA16 is not set
CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y
# CONFIG_FB_MATROX is not set
CONFIG_FB_ATY128=m
# CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL is not set
CONFIG_FBCON_ADVANCED=y
CONFIG_FBCON_MFB=m
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB2=m
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB4=m
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB8=y
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB16=y
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB24=y
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB32=y
# CONFIG_FBCON_AFB is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_ILBM is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_IPLAN2P2 is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_IPLAN2P4 is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_IPLAN2P8 is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_MAC is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_VGA_PLANES is not set
CONFIG_FBCON_VGA=y
# CONFIG_FBCON_FONTWIDTH8_ONLY is not set
CONFIG_FBCON_FONTS=y
CONFIG_FONT_8x8=y
CONFIG_FONT_8x16=y
# CONFIG_FONT_SUN8x16 is not set
# CONFIG_FONT_SUN12x22 is not set
# CONFIG_FONT_6x11 is not set
# CONFIG_FONT_PEARL_8x8 is not set
# CONFIG_FONT_ACORN_8x8 is not set

make your kernel and install it, if you dont know how,
refer to the HOWTO in index page.
 
There is also a example .config file and a example lilo.conf example to be
found in my pages.

Boot the new kernel and away you go.

A small note i use vga=791 with the above configuration so it's quite a sure
bet that the above will work for you as is.
There is no garuntee though. But at least you got all my spelling mistakes
for free. ;-)