hi
I'd like to change the default init level from 3 to 4.
i edited /etc/inittab only to find out that with any graphical login manager I won't have the text login opiton under tty1 to 6.
how do I configure things so that I can hit ctrl+alt+F* to get to a pure text console?
I had this problem once, when i experienced some driver problems after a kernel compile, and now I just want to make sure that I can go back to console at anytime.

thanks in advance

you should be able to hit ctr-alt-F6 and it should give you a console, the 1-5 wont work in runlevel 4, but 6 always should. i dont know what could be the problem if 6 doesnt work....

hmmm, ok. thanks
i guess 6 works
anyway... how can I get 1-5 to work?

/etc/inittab... the vc's are listed with runlevels... find the ones that don't have runlevel 4 and add 4 in...

Yeah, in RL4 there's a single text console on tty6 (in the comments in /etc/inittab it explains why it's there).

If you want all 6 text consoles and X running, there are two ways to do it. The first is to create a custom runlevel 5, with this setup. To do this change the penultimate line in /etc/inittab from

x1:4:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.4
to
x1:45:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.4

(and optionally, change
# 5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
which is near the top, to
# 5 = as runlevel 4 with 6 text consoles
)

Then set your default runlevel to 5.

Alternatively, you could add more text consoles to RL4
If you want the full complement of consoles in RL4, change this bit:

# These are the standard console login getties in multiuser mode:
c1:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux
c2:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
c3:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
c4:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
c5:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
c6:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux

To this:

# These are the standard console login getties in multiuser mode:
c1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux
c2:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
c3:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
c4:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
c5:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
c6:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux

That will make runlevel 4 give you all your consoles, as well as X on terminal 7.

wow.
thanks
that's what I wanted to know.
where can i get more information about getty and login topic stuff?

Why didn't you guys give him the HECK of a lot easier option of just booting into run level 3 and adding gdm to his rc.local? :-P

We use slackware, i guess we always choose the hard way :P

What's so hard about editing a text file?

My way involves MUCH less typing ;-)

Well, it's not hard to edit a file, but my very first attempt at linux (back at RedHat 5.2) was very frustrating because X wasn't working and i didn't know which file to edit, and when i did it, i didn't know about a text editor (i didn't have internet, a book or a pet to ask about that :P)

Exactly. Adding one character and changing another in /etc/inittab is the easiest thing in the world.

thank you guys
that was indeed easy. i just added the 4's in the inittab

now it's finally the way I wanted it to be....