I unthinkingly hit "return" after updating Slackware Current instead of typing "lilo". I have a backup kernel, so all I have to do to fix things is boot to the backup kernel, login as root, type "lilo", reboot, and carry on normally. _BUT_ I took advice to change to graphic login "because it's so much easier", and the cursor is now visible but unresponsive after boot so I cannot login. I'm looking for advice from someone who really knows the system -- suggestions on how to fix my system without reinstalling from scratch would be appreciated.

You can boot from the install DVD, mount your root partition in a chroot, and then run lilo. See this post for a step-by-step guide (in your case skip generating an initrd and and editing lilo.conf if you don't need to do that):

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...6/#post5558235

I have from time to time made that error, and the fix was not difficult. It should be readily possible to fix your system. What do you have to boot the computer: a) an 'emergency boot disk' on a USB flash-drive, made back at the time the OS was installed; or b) a USB flash-drive with "usbboot.img" properly installed; or c) something else? (Note: usbboot.img would come from a repository containing slackware-current/usb-and-pxe-installers.)

After reviewing one of the latest security advisories here http://www.slackware.com/security/vi...ecurity.704001, I decided to also run /sbin/lilo from a good /etc/lilo.conf (with the proper upgradepkg'd kernel-huge-4.4.186-x86_64-1.txz as per https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...te-4175657830/) and just as montagdude suggested using the link at https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...6/#post5558235.

But when I re-booted after very specifically instructing the /etc/lilo.conf file to use the advised vmlinuz-huge-4.4.186 kernel, the reboot refused to accept keyboard input when the login: prompt appeared

Using the steps outlined in https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...6/#post5558235, is it still possible to do a regressive install with a prior kernel (e.g., kernel-huge-4.4.172 or the original kernel-huge-4.4.12) and recover functionality without having to completely re-install Slackware 14.2 ?

You mean you change init level to 4? Try Alt+Ctl+F1(or F2 to F6) and try login in text console.

If this it also broken, you can try add
to lilo commandline (at boot time). However this boot system in very, VERY, crude mode. There are no startup scripts run, an you must everything do manually (mounting, set $PATH, etc). But if you are novice in Linux this maybe little to hard for you. If so better try "montagdude" advice.

To boot to run level 3, hit Tab at the lilo screen, then add ' 3' i.e. space then 3, to the line.

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This is the simplest and least error-prone answer -- many thanks!