I am using Redhat ES and i have selected 3 as my default runlevl (it boots in text mode). But if i start GUI by typing "startx" in the comand prompt how do i go back to text mode (aka run level 3). I have typed init 3 or telinit 3 at the terminal as a root but nothing happens (no error message nothing it just returns #). Right now the only way i can go back to text mode is by killing X (by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Backspace) but is there any other way? any help will be appreciated.

here is the copy of the /etc/inittab file:

id:3:initdefault:

# System initialization.
si::sysinit:/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit

l0:0:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 0
l1:1:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 1
l2:2:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 2
l3:3:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 3
l4:4:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 4
l5:5:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 5
l6:6:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 6

# Trap CTRL-ALT-DELETE
ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t3 -r now

# When our UPS tells us power has failed, assume we have a few minutes
# of power left. Schedule a shutdown for 2 minutes from now.
# This does, of course, assume you have powerd installed and your
# UPS connected and working correctly.
pf:owerfail:/sbin/shutdown -f -h +2 "Power Failure; System Shutting Down"

# If power was restored before the shutdown kicked in, cancel it.
pr:12345owerokwait:/sbin/shutdown -c "Power Restored; Shutdown Cancelled"


# Run gettys in standard runlevels
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6

# Run xdm in runlevel 5
x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

When you start up X you are still in runlevel 3. This is why "init 3" has no effect - you are already at runlevel 3 so nothing changes.

If the only way you have to exit X is to to ctrl-alt-backspace then it sounds like you are running a basic window manager, like TWM, yes? If you are running something proper like KDE then there ought to be an 'exit' option in the graphical environment somewhere.

If this does not work then it means you have your .xinitrc file set up incorrectly. This script resides in your home directory. Please post it here for us if you still have trouble.

To clarify, what I mean is that "startx" does not change your runlevel to 5. That is clearly what you are thinking, but actually that is not the case.

Runlevel 3, as typically set up, does not mean "no X window system," it just means that the system boots into a console. Runlevel 5 by contrast means that the system boots straight into an X-based graphical login.

thanx for ur reply. I am using GNOME and after seeing ur reply i tried log out from the desktop/gui and it does put me back to text mode.

thanx again