Re: How to stop X, to get a text mode console (new to Debian, need help)
On 8/2/05, Hans-Peter Sulzer <ql_freak@gmx.net> wrote:
> How can I shutdown X to get a normal text mode terminal,
> so that I can e. g. use X -probeonly >file 2>&1 so that
> I can publish it here (X -probeonly doesn't work as long
> as X is still running on another console).
>
> Currently the Gnome Display Manager (gdm?) is loaded
> when booting (graphical login), and there seems to be
> no option, to stop it, to get a text mode tty.
You can stop gdm with the command (as root):
# /etc/init.d/gdm stop
I'm not sure if that kills the X server, but it will stop it from
re-starting. This is best done by first switching to a new console
with C-A-1 (or 2), so that you don't accidentally kill the shell
you're working in.
> How can I change my installation, so that it uses
> the KDE display manager, which I have heard, has
> the possibility to stop X, to get a text tty.
The following should do it:
# apt-get --purge remove gdm
# apt-get install kdm
If you're using sid, you might want to hold off on switching to kdm,
though, until the C++ ABI changes settle out (assuming that they
haven't by now).
> And how (with gdm and kdm) can I restart X11, after
> doing some things in text mode (it takes a long time
> to reboot Debian completely)
Either
# /etc/init.d/gdm start
or
# /etc/init.d/kdm start
should do it. If not, you can run
$ startx
as a regular user.
Personally, I don't have ?dm installed. Even though the first thing I
do after logging in is to start X, I still prefer to get a console
after booting.
--
Michael A. Marsh
http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~mmarsh
http://mamarsh.blogspot.com
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