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Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
shell but I can't figure out how to do it.
Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
shell?

TIA

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.x.]
On 18 Jul 2004 17:23:32 -0700, Professor Fossil Fuel staggered into the
Black Sun and said:
> Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
> set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
> to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
> shell but I can't figure out how to do it.

You have to stop the X login manager (xdm, kdm, or gdm) from running.
Typically, this is started from init and it automatically respawns when
killed, so Ctrl-Alt-Backspace won't work. Start an xterm or konsole,
"su -" , enter root's password, type "init 3".

Or, press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to virtual terminal 1, where a getty
should be running. Log in as root, then enter "/etc/init.d/xdm stop" to
stop the X login manager. You can also press Ctrl-Alt-F[1-6] at any
time to switch to virtual terminals 1-6, where gettys should be running.

> Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
> shell?

Modify /etc/inittab , init's configuration file. By convention in
Redhat, runlevel 5 starts everything, runlevel 3 starts everything but
X. Find the line that says
id:5:initdefault:
....and change the 5 to a 3. Next time you reboot, X won't start. HTH,

--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / Hire me!
-----------------------------/ http://crow202.dyndns.org/~mhgraham/resume

Professor Fossil Fuel wrote:
> Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
> set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
> to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
> shell but I can't figure out how to do it.
> Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
> shell?
>
> TIA

Hmm, do you really want to "exit X", or do you just want to
start a "command line" window (like the Windows "Comand Prompt")?

If all you want is a "command prompt" window, just run "xterm";
you don't need to "exit X" to do that.

BTW, Red Hat 6 is verrrry old. If you're just starting with
Linux, it's better to start with an up-to-date version - many
things have changed since RH6....

Regards,
Larry

--
Anti-spam address, change each 'X' to '.' to reply directly.

On 18 Jul 2004 17:23:32 -0700, Professor Fossil Fuel wrote:
> Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
> set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
> to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
> shell but I can't figure out how to do it.
> Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
> shell?

change id:5:initdefault: to id:3:initdefault: in /etc/inittab. Then
init 3
when you want a desktop do a
startx

On 18 Jul 2004 17:23:32 -0700, Professor Fossil Fuel <carpaton@netscape.net> wrote:
| Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
| set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
| to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
| shell but I can't figure out how to do it.
| Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
| shell?


As others have mentioned, you can just run xterm if you want a command line.

If you want a full-screen, looks like X is not running, experience then
using the Ctrl-Alt-F1 key combo will get you a standard console with a
login prompt. While there, Alt-F1 to Alt-F6 will swap between consoles
(you will need to login to each console independently). Alt-F7 will return
you to the X session.

Don't forget to logout from every place you logged in.


--
Reverend Paul Colquhoun, ULC. http://andor.dropbear.id.au/~paulcol
Asking for technical help in newsgroups? Read this first:
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#intro

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, carpaton@netscape.net (Professor Fossil Fuel) wrote:
> Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
> set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
> to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
> shell but I can't figure out how to do it.
> Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
> shell?

One little correction; you wouldn't be starting up "in the shell," but
rather with a console controlled by a "/usr/bin/login" process. The
shell (e.g. - /bin/bash) only gets invoked once you log in...

Red Hat has traditionally handled this via the choice of "run level,"
in /etc/inittab.

You'll probably find that the default runlevel has been changed from 3
(where xdm doesn't run) to 5 (where it does).

Take a look in /etc/inittab; you ought to be able to change the 5 to a
3, and get the desired result.

Another option would be to configure xdm (or its equivalent; gdm is
the GNOME one, kdm was created by the KDE guys, wdm, which I use,
comes from the WindowMaker/GNUStep guys) to not run.

There's actually a third option, which is to not bother stopping *dm.
You can hit Ctrl-Alt-F1, and get to a virtual console with a login
prompt.

Hit Alt-F2 thru Alt-F6 to get other virtual consoles; Alt-F7 should
return you to the X session...
--
If this was helpful, <http://svcs.affero.net/rm.php?r=cbbrowne> rate me
http://www.ntlug.org/~cbbrowne/nonrdbms.html
Rules of the Evil Overlord #150. "I will provide funding and research
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needs so my choices are not limited to "hand to hand combat with
swords" and "blow up the planet"." <http://www.eviloverlord.com/>

well, this is bad though, but if you can't get out, try hitting
ctrl-alt-backspace .... that will kill the x-server and drop you to
shell.

yes, mind you, this is last resort.

--
raqueeb hassan
congo (drc)

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.x.]
On 19 Jul 2004 12:09:44 -0700, Raqueeb Hassan staggered into the Black
Sun and said:
> well, this is bad though, but if you can't get out, try hitting
> ctrl-alt-backspace .... that will kill the x-server and drop you to
> shell.

....iff you started X using "startx". If xdm/gdm/kdm was started from
init, xdm/gdm/kdm will respawn after you kill X. "init 3" or
"/etc/init.d/xdm stop" is a better idea.

--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / Hire me!
-----------------------------/ http://crow202.dyndns.org/~mhgraham/resume

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 17:23:32 -0700, Professor Fossil Fuel wrote:

> Hi all, I am just starting to take my first baby steps into Linux. I
> set up Red Hat 6 from an old book I found. During setup I configured X
> to start at startup. Now I am trying to exit X and get out to the
> shell but I can't figure out how to do it.

WHENEVER a newbie asks this question, I think the first answer we give
should be, "You don't." Do not exit X to get to the command line. Use
xterm (or something nicer) instead.

> Also what (script I guess) do I modify so that I start up in the
> shell?

Again, for a newbie, the answer is, "You already did start up in the shell."
Usually (distro dependent) you have 6 command-line sessions already
running (ctrl-alt-f1 through ctrl-alt-f6) before the graphical session is
started (ctrl-alt-f7). The ctrl-alt-f<number> keystroked switch between
them.

For a real impressive experience, it is possible to start multiple
graphical logins (ctrl-alt-f8, etc) and switch between them. X windows has
been able to do this as far back as I can remember (1991, when I first
used X windows), Mac OS X just recently got this capability. Last time I
checked (several years ago) the Evil Empire had still not copied this
idea, but I don't care about them. This lets a second user log in as
himself and do something without disturbing your session, other than
making you get up and leave while he does it.

Gnome 2.6 lets you open a second session in a window within the first
session.

Not that it is even necessary to have multiple login screens, since apps
can be started as different users, displaying on the same screen, or even
on running on different computers while displaying on the same screen, or
distributed across multiple screens on one or multiple computers,
including distributing one apps windows across different displays, etc...

>
> TIA

--
Thomas D. Shepard
Sorry, you can't email me.
(Email address is fake.)