How do I disable X at boot time so that the system boots in text mode?

stf92 · 06-01-2018, 03:14 PM

Hi: When the booting sequence ends I find myself in the GUI, where a login prompt is presented me (Debian version 9). I would like to change this and be able to start X by myself if I like to do it. Any way to accomplish this?

I presume it is in one of the scripts started by inittab that X is called. But which one. There are plenty of them.

RandomTroll · 06-01-2018, 05:58 PM

I always do this. Something in /etc/rc.d does it. I don't have it in mine, but rc.4 looks suspicious.

stf92 · 06-01-2018, 06:04 PM

Mine is

Code:

root@debian:/etc/rc4.d# v
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 May 30 14:57 S01anacron -> ../init.d/anacron
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 May 30 14:58 S01avahi-daemon -> ../init.d/avahi-daemon
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 26 May 30 14:53 S01console-setup.sh -> ../init.d/console-setup.sh
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 May 30 14:52 S01cron -> ../init.d/cron
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 May 30 14:58 S01dbus -> ../init.d/dbus
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 May 30 14:58 S01lightdm -> ../init.d/lightdm
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 May 30 14:58 S01network-manager -> ../init.d/network-manager
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 May 30 14:52 S01rsyslog -> ../init.d/rsyslog
root@debian:/etc/rc4.d#

the line containing connsole-setup.sh and the line containing lightdm look suspicious to me. I read somewhere one has to edit the /etc/default/grub file this way:

Code:

Find this line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Change it to:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text"

Update GRUB:

I did it but it had no result though it too said:

Code:

For systems that use systemd

This is an additional step for systemd releases, e.g. Ubuntu 15.04, the steps above for grub are still necessary.

You need to tell systemd to not load the graphical login manager:

sudo systemctl enable multi-user.target --force
sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

You will still be able to use X by typing startx after you logged in.

However, this is what I got:

Code:

root@debian:/etc/rc4.d# systemctl enable multi-user.target --force
The unit files have no installation config (WantedBy, RequiredBy, Also, Alias
settings in the [Install] section, and DefaultInstance for template units).
This means they are not meant to be enabled using systemctl.
Possible reasons for having this kind of units are:
1) A unit may be statically enabled by being symlinked from another unit's
   .wants/ or .requires/ directory.
2) A unit's purpose may be to act as a helper for some other unit which has
   a requirement dependency on it.
3) A unit may be started when needed via activation (socket, path, timer,
   D-Bus, udev, scripted systemctl call, ...).
4) In case of template units, the unit is meant to be enabled with some
   instance name specified.
root@debian:/etc/rc4.d#

stf92 · 06-01-2018, 06:27 PM

I did

Code:

systemctl set-default multi-user.target

and it all worked fine.

RandomTroll · 06-01-2018, 07:28 PM

If that solved it, you can mark it as solved!(!!!). I answered because you profile sez Slackware. For Slackers taking the 4 out of the terminal inits in inittab seems to be the solution.

AwesomeMachine · 06-04-2018, 09:17 AM

I think you can also append 'init 3' to the kernel line in grub.

hazel · 06-04-2018, 11:26 AM

If your system uses sysvinit, then you just need to change the default boot level in /etc/inittab. Usually level 3 is the correct one for a text boot.

If it's systemd, you can set up a link /etc/systemd/system/default.target to point to /lib/systemd/system/multiuser.target

petelq · 06-05-2018, 12:54 PM

If you just want to do it as a one-off, then pressing 'e' at grub menu, adding '3' at the end of the kernel line and then f10 will log to a console. It reverts to normal boot next time.

Head_on_a_Stick · 06-19-2018, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

level 3 is the correct one for a text boot

Runlevels 2 through 5 are identical in Debian (and correspond to multi-user mode).

A cursory search suggests that adding text as a kernel command line parameter will force a console boot in the absence of systemd but I haven't tested this (I use systemd in my Debian box).

frankbell · 06-19-2018, 08:23 PM

I found this tutorial. http://ask.xmodulo.com/boot-into-com...tu-debian.html

I haven't tested it.

engines · 06-24-2018, 03:57 PM

I would like to do this as well. So what all needs editing? I don't want to issue some command that mysteriously changes something if I decide to change it all back. Also do you just start x to start gui back up? Years ago with kde I think I just typed kde and enter to start it from terminal?

Head_on_a_Stick · 06-25-2018, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engines

So what all needs editing? I don't want to issue some command that mysteriously changes something if I decide to change it all back.

Test the change temporarily by pressing "e" with the Debian boot menu entry highlighted, add

Code:

text

to the end of the line that starts with "linux" and then press <Ctrl>+x (at the same time) to boot the modified entry.

To make the change permanent, add "text" to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX in /etc/default/grub and run `update-grub` (as root) to update the boot menu.

Quote:

do you just start x to start gui back up?

Yes.