How do I revert from Gui to text login??

jpflager · 02-18-2003, 01:38 PM

How do I disable my gui login and move to a text based login before the boot process? My problem is I've installed a new monitor and I need to use x-configurator to update my system but cannot get to a command prompt to do so. I used a boot disk and tried the command "linux text" at the "boot:" prompt. This didn't work though. Any thoughts??

Tinkster · 02-18-2003, 01:41 PM

Give /etc/inittab a close look :}

Cheers,
Tink

MasterC · 02-18-2003, 01:43 PM

And never look back... I cannot stand a gui login anymore. If I install a new system, first thing I disable (if it's enabled) is the gui login. What's the point?

Cool

fancypiper · 02-18-2003, 01:46 PM

You might try booting "linux 3" for most distros (you kept your distribution secret).

Tinkster · 02-18-2003, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MasterC
And never look back... I cannot stand a gui login anymore. If I install a new system, first thing I disable (if it's enabled) is the gui login. What's the point?

Cool

Aaaaaaaaamen ;}

Blessed be the Slacker! :D

Cheers,
Tink

jpflager · 02-18-2003, 02:36 PM

How do I get to a command line, without hitting the GUI first?

MasterC · 02-18-2003, 02:40 PM

By editing /etc/inittab

Look for a line:
id:5:initdefault:

And change it to 3. If it doesn't work, post up your /etc/inittab file and we will help figure out which one you need

COol

jpflager · 02-18-2003, 02:49 PM

I denfinately appreciate the help. My problem is that I can't read anthing on my screen to login because I changed to a new monitor. Thus I can't get to a command line. Is there a way to get to the x-configuartor before the login process?

fancypiper · 02-18-2003, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jpflager
How do I get to a command line, without hitting the GUI first?

If you are in a GUI, try pressing ctrl-alt-F3. If you see a login screen, login as root and command init 3

That should kill X and leave you with the console command line.

Now, command mc

Navigate to /etc/inittab and press F4.

Edit the default runlevel to what number your distro uses for "Full multiuser mode", usually 3

Code:

#
# inittab       This file describes how the INIT process should set up
#               the system in a certain run-level.
#
# Author:       Miquel van Smoorenburg, <miquels@drinkel.nl.mugnet.org>
#               Modified for RHS Linux by Marc Ewing and Donnie Barnes
#

# Default runlevel. The runlevels used by RHS are:
#   0 - halt (Do NOT set initdefault to this)
#   1 - Single user mode
#   2 - Multiuser, without NFS (The same as 3, if you do not have networking)
#   3 - Full multiuser mode
#   4 - unused
#   5 - X11
#   6 - reboot (Do NOT set initdefault to this)
#
id:3:initdefault:
<snip>

MasterC · 02-18-2003, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jpflager
I denfinately appreciate the help. My problem is that I can't read anthing on my screen to login because I changed to a new monitor. Thus I can't get to a command line. Is there a way to get to the x-configuartor before the login process?

Depending on your distro (and since you are looking for xconfigurator I'm assuming Rhat) you may have a failsafe kernel option. If you don't, boot up with your distro's install CDROM, if it's 1 of the big 3 (RH, Mandy, SuSE) you have a rescue option. If it's something else, you probably still have a rescue option, it's just not as "Straight forward". Either way, once you get to the screen to continue your installation, you can usually type 'rescue' and it will boot into rescue mode. If not, at that point try CTRL ALT F2 and procede.

Cool

fancypiper · 02-18-2003, 05:11 PM

If you can read anything during boot up, look for some option that will let you pass an option and try linux 3 (most distros, some have a different one and you still wont tell us what you are using

).