I'm completely new to linux and am trying to install nvidia drivers. When I try to exit x server with init 3 command i get a blinking cursor that dosen't respond tom my keyboard unless you hold a button down for a long period of time. This makes it impossible to type anything this is where i get stuck and have to ctrl+alt+delete to reboot. If anyone has any tips or ideas please let me know. I appreciate any help here is some info about my comp.

Fedora core 4 x86_64
AMD Athlon 3000+
ASUS A7N-8N SLI Deluxe
Nvidia Pcie 6800GT
1 gig ram
Logitech Access Keyboard
Razer Diamonback usb mouse

if it hangs try "ctrl+alt+backspace" to restart X.try booting as single user and rectify ur prblm.

Depending on your kernel version that can happen, but the system's not hung, is only the FB device (framebuffer device) is busy. To prevent this from happening, just make sure are back at VC1 (ctrl+alt+F1), you will not see response on the screen!, then execute the X server and only the X server with the 'X' command, just type 'X' [ENTER] and a black background with an X shapped cursor appears on the screen. That's allriht, as that's the basic X server, no additional software is being executed, just X. Kill it with ctrl+alt+backspace and you should see the X's initialization dump on the screen with the rest of your terminal info.

Hope this helps.

Edit:
And before I forget, this happens to many systems from version 2.6.12 and up of the kernel. Even building one of your own does not help. I ignore why does this happen, but for some people seems to be random as the problem may show in one boot and not in another, even between shifts of init like 5/3/5/3. With recent 2.6.14 and 2.6.15 kernels I have not seen the problem on my system, but that doesn't mean it doesn't show anymore (just less frequently, I guess).

thanks for the help your suggestion of ctrl+alt+f1 worked!