A client has "NUM 1 FDX 001-001 08:02a" displaying on her screen

Goslowsky · 03-07-2006, 04:08 PM

Hello,

I am a new Unix admin. and have inherited a number of machines running Linux as well. I have never used Linux, so I am a raw beginner here. I have a client that has the following displayed on her monitor after rebooting her machine :

1 NUM FDX 001-001 08:02a

And nothing else. I am assuming that FDX is for full-duplex, but I am lost about any of the rest.

Can any one help? Don't hesitate to ask for more info, I will provide whatever I can. I just didn't know what might be pertainent.

George J. Goslowsky
ggoslowsky@kingrecords.com

ralvez · 03-07-2006, 04:31 PM

Is that machine a "dumb terminal" or a full blown linux box?
If you issue any commands like "ls -l" does it respond?
Did the client manifested that the system had a GUI terminal before the reboot? In fact what caused you to re-boot the system ... was there a problem you where working on before the strange prompt came along?

Rick

Goslowsky · 03-07-2006, 04:37 PM

I believe that it is a full Linux box in ASCII terminal mode. The lady using it mistyped a command key in a POS system and the whole thing locked up. It would not accept any input from the keyboard, so she rebooted it. It returned with the text displayed that I mentioned before.

This was all done last Friday. I am only just now getting in on this today.

I am trying to get some (any) information about the exact setup from my predecessor, but it takes some time. Sorry.

George J. Goslowsky

ralvez · 03-07-2006, 04:43 PM

Hum ... this could be a challenge. How familiar are you with Unix? Linux is for all intense purposes a unix-derivative so, most *nix commands will apply just fine (aside from some AIX commands, I think).
Do you have root access to the system? If you do try pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or F2,F3,F4,F5,F6) and see if you gain access to another running terminal in the machine. If you do, then log in as the administrator and troubleshoot the problem.

Rick