Stuck in terminal - turned on text desktop by accident
 

This my sound like a silly question but for someone stuck in windows for so long i have never came had to worry about the terminal b4. However, i have managed to get myself stuck in the greenbackgrounded SuSE 9.1 termial on startup because i turned off the graphical desktop (rather foolishly i know see). Could someone help fix this problem?

in the /etc/inittab change the default runlevel to 5

if this works i'll be forever thankfull. i spend 2hours looking at the pretty green terminal window wanting to destoy it.

thanks

problem, i'm probly just doing this wrong but when i get to /etc/ and type 'cd inittab' it just says 'permission denied'

Hi!
Fellow Newbie here....

inittab is a file (sorry - it's the standard way files are written in Linux...)

You'll have to edit using vi or whetever editor you're familiar with. Or be really lazy and copy the file to your Windoze partition, change in on notepad and copy it back.

But that's just being REALLY noob! ;-)

Good luck - it's easy to change though.

P.S. if you want to get to the desktop, type startx - should work straightaway.

inittab is not a directory, so you are not likely to have directory-change permissions on it. Edit the inittab file using an editor like nano.

Alternatively, type to get back to a GUI (this will only work until the next reboot).

NEVER use windows editors to change UNIX text files, especially system files.

Also, you'll have to be root to edit the file.

startx didnt work as there was some problem with a link to a bin in /ver/X11R6/bin/x i think
how do u edit in the terminal? edit inittab ?

use vi or pico or one of the many many console edittors.

tried typing 'pico inittab' in /etc/ and just got the command error message

try full paths, pico /etc/inittab as root should do it.

if you cannot use startx, this probably means something is wrong with your X-windows.

try:
telinit 5
or:
init 5
if you get errors you can't use graphical mode (5), and it's pointless to edit inittab.

if you can use graphical mode login as root and alter the inittab.

pico is not the de-facto editor of linux.
you need to have pine installed in order to have pico.

better learn how to use vi.

What kind of error do u get?

Hi dinkydarko!

You could also change the runlevel using yast:

login as root
type 'yast'
select 'system' 'runlevel-editor'
change to 'expert-mode' (Alt+highlighted key)
select runlevel 5 as default runlevel
exit yast
type init 5

the netxt reboot you should get automatically into graphical mode

Maybe the options are named a little different, I do not have an english version right now.

i'll try going into a little more detail about the problem.
I was getting an error mesage on start up SuSE 9.1 telling me that my monitor wasnt reporing x values which might cause problems. i went into Yast and reprobled my graphics settings and then (foolishly) told it to use text decktop instead (learn from errors). at the time it told me i could change this but i was too fast with my clicking to read how. now it starts in run level 3.

when i try 'startx' i get the error message i mentioned above about the link not working,
i dont think i have pico or any other editor as having tried all the onese mentioned i get the same error message, commmand unregognised or soemting alson those lines. help :(

Strange since pico is usually a standard console editor in suse. What do you get when you just type pico? But anyway, you may also re-configure your graphics using yast -> hardware -> graphics (or what ever it is called in english).

But if startx doesn't work, there might be another problem. Could you post the exact error message please?

sorry, i'll go abck in and find out.
i tried chaging the run level in Yast and then exited and typed init 5 and got to level 5 in the termninal but no graphical desktop.
i then tried changin the hardware settigns/graphic config in Yast and this make no differece even on reboot (just seemed to go back to text mode)
then tried what it said in the Graphic setting, instructing me to type SaX2, this then told me i needed to be on run level 3 to use it. so u went back to run level 3 and tried and got this erroe message 'ups lost card during probing...aborting'

Maybe you need to install special drivers for your card? You could install the drivers for nvidia with YOU (yast online update) if you have a working internet connection.

sax2 is nothing else than the graphics module in yast !

ok, i'll try You. its a PCI nvidia 5200FX card i have but i was working ok with the original drivers.

hello,

if you've used YaST to make some changes to your x configuration, chances are it will have saved the original file as a backup. i don't use SuSE anymore, but from memory, the XFree86 config file is in /etc/X11. Actually, I'm not sure whether SuSE 9.1 uses XFree86 or Xorg, no matter - if it's XFree86, the config file will be XF86Config; Xorg should be Xorg.conf.

Anyway, if a backup copy has been made, it'll usually have a tilde appended - eg, XF86Config~. Have a look and see..

If a backup has been made, just rename the current file to something else (best not to delete it for now...), then rename the backup to XF86Config. You'll need to be root to do all this, and the commands are, eg:

#cp XF86Config XF86Config-old (copy you current config to a new file)

then

#cp XF86Config~ XF86Config (rename the YaST backup..)

then try startx again..

ok, here is the latest.
i tried downloading the drivers via Yast and You but i dont really know what to do once the are installed.
i went to /etc/x11 and found XF86CONFIG-linux , XF86CONFIG.Yast2save and XF86CONFIG.install
that help?
anyhting else i can give u?

ok,

well, it looks like XF86CONFIG.Yast2save is the Yast backup... but where's the XF86Config file?!! Hmm, I'll hazard a guess that the XF86CONFIG-linux might be the current version. I think I'd still be inclined to copy the Yast2Save file to XF86Config, and also to the other files, too (but make sure you make copies of them just in case)..

ie,

#cp XF86CONFIG.Yast2save XF86Config

... then try a startx

if that doesn't work...

#cp XF86CONFIG-linux XF86CONFIG-linux-old
#cp XF86CONFIG.Yast2Save XF86CONFIG-linux

.. etc

But I'm a bit puzzled as to the whereabouts of your original XF86Config.. it might be XF86Config-4... sorry, I'm really going from memory here, and Mandrake 10, which I now use, uses Xorg....

Let us know how you get on.

will do, i'm using duel boot so takes a min to try it out and get back
thanks

k, i tried making the 2 other files the -linux files as u sugested. noluck in the startx department tho.
could it be a KDE problemor am i just being noobie and naive there?
would the full startx error message help?

hi,

the startx error message probably would help. could you also post a listing of the contents of your /etc/X11 directory..

it doesn't sound like a KDE problem....

cheers.

ok, sorry for wait. took a min

startx

there is no link /var/X11R6/bin/x to correct x server binary.
Please configure the correct x server with SaX/SaX2, which will create the missing link. I'm aborting now.

SaX doesnt work

SaX2

SaX2: invalid runlevel for consol mode
SaX2: please switch to init 3

SaX2 Aborting

(in level 3 it pauses and make the screen goe weird with a movable moue on it and then says'ups lost card during probling...abourt')

contents of /etc/X11

.kstyierc.lock
.qt_plugins_3.3rc.lock
.qtrc.lock
XF86Config-linux
XF86Config-linux-old
XF86Config.Yast2save
XF86Config.install
Xmodmap
Xmodmap.remote
Xresources
fs
fvwm2
kstylerc
lbxproxy
proxymngr
qt_gtk_fnt2fntrc
qt_plugins_3.3rc
qtrc
rstart
twm
xdm
xim
xlinit
xkb
xserver
xsm

would reinstalling suse work?
is it possible?
help

ok,

looks like you're missing a symbolic link in your /etc/X11 directory to your x server binary, XFree86, which should reside in /usr/X11R6/bin.

First, check that the file is in there. Then, you need to remake that symbolic link -

Do the following as root -

#ln -s /usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 /etc/X11/X

then try startx again..

(Sorry for delay - watching film on telly and nipping to computer during advert breaks!)

Yes, you could do that, but I'd try and leave that as a last resort :D

First of all you should try to reinstall XFree86 only (to install the whole system should not be necessary).

Next: if I read your post with the error-message correctly, the link should reside in /var/X11R6/bin and not /etc/X11.

The command would then be:

#ln -s /usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 /var/X11R6/bin

i got so anoyed last night with it i took the windows way out. I reinstalled the system. Gave me the chance to use new found knowlege to make a better install with better settings. Thanks with all the help. i think i'm going to learn a little more about the terminal as i felt like a big hairy newbie trying fix the problem. At least if another poor foolish soul tries to get rid of their graphics desktop they can find help in your advice.

thanks for all the help,
david

Hi David,

OK fair play - glad you're up and running again...