LinuxQuestions.org - ctrl-alt-backspace suspends

I found some interesting info concerning the CAB-problem:

As it seems it's a problem with AMI-BIOS / SiS-Chipsets.

Here are the links with short exerpts:

http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/lin...9507/0587.html
> I sent a message yesterday about my problem in exiting X using
> <CTRL><ALT><BS>. I forgot to mention that exiting X with the menu
> options doesn't seem to break anything. Is there a difference in the
> signal generated by selecting menu and <CTRL><ALT><BS> as far as the X
> server/Kernel is concerned?

Check your BIOS and motherboard manuals, AMI BIOS has a feature that
locks up the keyboard and flashes the LED's if the CTRL-ALT-BS hotkey is
pressed and BIOS password is enabled in any way.

Try during any other time while using Linux, you'll probably notice this
exact same behavior, so it's not the fault of X.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Keyboard-a...e-HOWTO-8.html
Perry F Nguyen (pfnguyen@netcom22.netcom.com) writes: AMI BIOS has a feature that locks up the keyboard and flashes the LED's if the Ctrl-Alt-Backspace combination is pressed while a BIOS password is enabled, until the CMOS/BIOS password is typed in.

On some SiS based motherboards the combination Ctrl-Alt-Backspace will cause a power off, or puts the machine in power save mode. (Reported for SiS 630 and for SiS645DX.)

http://de.shuttle.com/biosbeta.htm#ms21linuxshu
MS21: Linux-Shutdown-Problem bei <Ctrl><Alt><Backspace>

Unter Linux läßt sich der X-Server mit der Tastenkombination <Ctrl><Alt><Backspace> beenden. Bei SiS-Chipsätzen ist diese Code jedoch standardmäßig für das Power Management im APM-Modus reserviert, so daß der Rechner bei dieser Tastenkombination unter Linux abrupt abschaltet. Im ACPI-Modus unter Windows 98SE und Windows 2000 hat dieser Hotkey keine Auswirkung. In der folgenden BIOS-Version für MS21 (ohne Netzwerk) wurde der Hotkey aus dem BIOS entfernt:

http://sdb.suse.de/sdb/en/html/xf86_apm.html
The Machine Shuts Down When Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Backspace

Symptom:

Your computer has a SiS chipset. When you use the short cut Ctrl+Alt+Backspace (e.g., to kill the running X server), the whole machine shuts down instead. This happens on the text console, too.

Cause:

Some motherboards with SiS chipsets have a built-in functionality to shut down the system when pressing Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. This only occurs when using kernels with apm support.

Solution:

First, check if your computer's BIOS contains the option Init VGA-BIOS from S3. If yes, set this BIOS function to disabled.

In case your BIOS does not contain this option, another possibility consists of telling the kernel to switch apm off during the system boot.

This can be achieved by passing this parameter to the kernel:
apm=off

This parameter can also be permanently passed to the kernel through LILO. This can be done by starting YaST2 Control Center and selecting the menu System --> Configure boot mode. Select where LILO should be installed and insert the option apm=off in the text field for Boot parameter (separated from existing entries with a space). Confirm this configuration with Continue and reboot to activate the changes. Alternatively, you can also use YaST (1) in older SuSE Linux systems. Start YaST (1) and select the menu System Administration --> Kernel and boot configuration --> LILO configuration. There you will find the line Append line for hardware parameter, which may already contain some parameters. Insert the option apm=off separated by a space from already existing parameters and confirm with Continue.

The output of LILO will be then displayed in a separate window. You can now exit YaST and reboot your computer.