Switch to console mode from GUI in RH8?
 

Hi all,

Can anyone tell a newbie how to switch from the GUI to console mode in RH8?

My XF86Config is screwed and my monitor can't display the logon gui. I need to get to a console mode to fix this but don't know how.

Ctrl-Alt-F2 doesn't seem to work in RH (but does in SuSe).

I can't see how to change boot preferences in RH (using GRUB as a bootloader) unlike LiLo where I can manually enter a screen mode.

Thanks!

Try ctrl-alt-f1

if that doesn't work then X might have frozen, try ctrl-alt-backspace.

you can configure the boot in the file /etc/inittab
just change the number 5 to 3 in the line
id:5:initdefault
/*5 is for x11
3 for console*/
save and restart

Thanks for your replies guys.

No joy on the Ctrl-Alt-Backspace I'm afraid.

Unfortunately I can't see anything on my screen to allow me to edit my config files......somehow I need to get to a console!

What exactly happens when it goes wrong?
What booting options do you have? Any other OSs?

Hm. Try top from a term - or ktop or whatever your environment is - and check out the pids. If X is 50, do 'kill 50'. I suppose that would drop you out, though I'm not sure if I've ever tried to kill X from in X.

Yeah - that worked for me - I don't have X in CORE, but fired up BasicLinux - and, weirdly, X was 50. :)

Crap. Sorry - I misread. The problem is you couldn't see how to do all that. Lemme think. *smoke pours out*

Okay - maybe 4th edit's the charm. I assume you have your installation disks/floppies? Just use those. It's Red Hat - there's got to be an option for you to use them to boot, stop the installation process, and go to a 'fix' mode, right? Or you have some kind of boot disk? Or can download one? Any good rescue disk ought to boot directly to console, anyhow.

(Incidentally, first thing I do, when I have X is change the default runlevel - I *don't* like booting into anything graphical.)

He he, what I usually do is hit an open console, alt-F1 or whatever, then kill X from there (while X session is still open). This probably isn't the best idea but it does work.

In reality I run a little command that kills all processes owned by a certain user, so If I have an X session as user 'bulliver' I run "dieuserdie bulliver" and I get dropped at a console ready to login again. Here's the script:

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the help.

I finally managed to get back to X by removing and replacing my video card. RH detected it and reset my XF86Config to the new card.

Not a solution to recommend but......

Good advice to stop short of the graphical interface I think.....