loading into a true BASH shell?!
 

Warning!!! Newbie here!!!

Hello everyone and thanks for reading...

I wanted to ask how one goes into the Bash Shell from the GUI login screen that is a true BASH... the reason is something I was trying to install something (can't recall the exact program from that time) and it would not let me install its from the control + alt + f2 bash screen (I think its that keystroke that brings it up). So is there a way to exit the GUI login screen completely as if I was loading the computer straight into the BASH by the way of the edited /etc/inittab file with the id of 3. I am wanting this because I don't want to load into the BASH login all the time then entering KDE by the way of "startx" and I don't want to have to restart the computer to enter the BASH to load something... =/

any ideas on this issue???

Much thanks as always,

Sincerely

Kevin in Alaska

I'm not sure if I really understand what are you asking. I mean, you should be able to open bash from any shell by just typing in "bash" or alternatively "/bin/bash" or something like that... I might be wrong, but bash is bash so it should work - and if it doesn't work from a gui terminal, then chances are it wont work in full text mode either...

Maybe your issue is not bash, but permissions... Do you have write permissons in the directories? Do you need to be root to install that software? Check the software documentation.

This is probably not the answer to your question, but I hope it helps...

If you really need to drop out of a WM and into the console, you usually can exit the WM without shutting down the computer. Viola, you're at the command-line. To get back into your manager type "startx"

Open a terminal window. "su" to root. Type This tells the machine to drop to a console. Do your thing. As root, type and you'll be shot back to GUI. Usually the comments in inittab will show what the runlevels mean. Remember 6 is reboot , 5 is GUI, 3 is multi-user console, 2 is same as 3 without networking, 1 is single user, 0 is halt (never make that your default!)

ctrl+alt+F1-F6 will take you to a command line with out a gui interface. to get back to the gui, alt+F7. it's that easy.

also as farseer pointed out, bash is bash. if your opening up a console, your in bash, if that's your default shell anyway. your problem might have been that what you where trying to install actually needed a gui, so if you weren't in init5 it couldn't find the x server and then make the proper adjustments to it's self when doing the config and install. or you didn't do it as root.

When you type ctrl+alt+F2 it will take you to a true bash (as you call it).

A) If you were unable to install something might be because you tried as a regular user.

B) If you were unable to install something because the xserver was running, you can kill it fromt any console as root with '~# killall kdm' (if kdm is you desktop manager currently running) (use 'gdm' for gnome) (you can try both if you dont know which oe is running)

C) if you are running KDE, go to 'K menu > log out > end session only' then at the kdm loggin screen you can chose 'console logging' (that kills the xserver/kdm)

And, ofcurse the previous advice given to you also work.