Can't exit X

Moebius01 · 11-24-2003, 01:15 PM

I recently saw a thread on this, but can't find it again, and don't think the problem was ever answered so...

I just installed Mandrake 9.2 (first Linux install) and all went pretty smooth. However, I can't seem to shutdown X and get back to text prompts. Pressing ctrl-alt-backspace starts to work, X shuts down and I see the text login prompt, but it immediately then goes back to the graphical login. I played around with uncheking the Graphical login in the boot options of Mandrake Control Center and had mixed results. I'd like to be able to keep the graphical login at boot, and be able to drop out of X if that's possible.

druuna · 11-24-2003, 02:04 PM

There are probably more, but here's one:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...highlight=init

If you ever want to make this permanent (goto runlevel 3 after every boot). Look for this entry in your /etc/inittab:

# The default runlevel is defined here
id:5:initdefault:

Chnge the 5 into a 3.

jchance · 11-24-2003, 02:24 PM

In the mandrake control center you can under hardware you go to setup or configure you xserver then choose options and there is the option to have Mandrake boot into x when it starts.

Moebius01 · 11-24-2003, 03:07 PM

Ok, so a second spin on the question, is there a way to do both? Have it boot to X, but be able to Exit X on demand?

If not, one other question, when I boot to Graphical Logon, I get a dropdown to select which WM (I think?) to launch, KDE, GNOME, IceWM, WindowMaker, and several others. At this early stage in the game I kind of like switching around between them to see which I like most. Is there a switch to the startx command to specify which is launched?

LiquidZoo · 11-24-2003, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moebius01
Ok, so a second spin on the question, is there a way to do both? Have it boot to X, but be able to Exit X on demand?

If not, one other question, when I boot to Graphical Logon, I get a dropdown to select which WM (I think?) to launch, KDE, GNOME, IceWM, WindowMaker, and several others. At this early stage in the game I kind of like switching around between them to see which I like most. Is there a switch to the startx command to specify which is launched?

Yes, but you need an additional file. You need a file called .xinitrc in your home directory. In it, you can have whatever you want and just with a simple edit, have it start whatever you want. Here's a sample .xinitrc file:

Code:

#starticewm
#startwindowmaker
#startkde
#startgnome
startfluxbox

That code should start fluxbox when you type in startx from a console login. If you wanted to start another wm, you would edit that file after you logged in to the cli, add a # in front of the fluxbox command and uncomment one of the other ones to start that wm instead.

fancypiper · 11-24-2003, 05:38 PM

Try control-alt-F<N> (use a number for N from 1 to 6) to access your virtual terminals.

In console, switch from one virtual terminal to another by alt-F1 through alt-F6.

To return to X press alt-F7

fancypiper · 11-24-2003, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LiquidZoo
Yes, but you need an additional file. You need a file called .xinitrc in your home directory. In it, you can have whatever you want and just with a simple edit, have it start whatever you want. Here's a sample .xinitrc file:

Code:

#starticewm #startwindowmaker #startkde #startgnome startfluxbox

That code should start fluxbox when you type in startx from a console login. If you wanted to start another wm, you would edit that file after you logged in to the cli, add a # in front of the fluxbox command and uncomment one of the other ones to start that wm instead.

If you use any graphical login manager, it ignores the .xinitrc file, so that won't work.

You will have to read up on your login manager to find the file it reads.

Life is much simpler booting to command line and using startx.

Moebius01 · 11-24-2003, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fancypiper
If you use any graphical login manager, it ignores the .xinitrc file, so that won't work.

You will have to read up on your login manager to find the file it reads.

Life is much simpler booting to command line and using startx.

I'm sure I'll eventually end up booting to command line, but at this early stage in the game, having the graphical login makes it nice and easy to try out the different WMs on here. Once I decide on one (KDE and GNOME are the front runners at present with GNOME edging it out) I'll configure the .xinitrc file and boot to command line.

Baldrick65 · 11-24-2003, 07:47 PM

As far as I know, simply typing

Code:

telinit 3

in a console will enter the system to runlevel 3 (text mode).

Baldrick