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Thread ID: 26572 2002-10-30 10:04:00 Linux - stop booting to GDI Mike (15) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
94630 2002-10-30 10:04:00 Is there any way I can stop linux from booting to the GDI? I installed a video card driver but my computer doesn't like it and just spits scribble all over the screen and the mouse freezes, so I was wanting to know is there a way to just boot to the command prompt and somehow edit some setting somewhere to take me back to what it was? :D

Thanks

Mike. 		Mike (15)
94631 2002-10-30 10:20:00 (Assuming you have the text mode screen for LILO/GRUB).

Enter "linux single" at the boot loader and it will dump you at a root prompt.

To stop it from starting X with normal startup, open "/etc/inittab" in your favourite editor (I'll asume you know how to do this).

Find the line that looks like:

id:5:initdefault:

And change the 5 to a 3.

If you aren't running redhat/mandrake the runlevels may be different, but they should be documented in comments just above it. 		bmason (508)
94632 2002-10-30 10:22:00 After booting you to GUI you can Ctrl Alt F3 to return to the standard login prompt. Most linux distros also permit logging in just prior to the start of loading the GUI, but you need to be pretty quick. Gorela (901)
94633 2002-10-30 20:26:00 >>> (Assuming you have the text mode screen for LILO/GRUB).

I have Grub, but there are no options apart from booting to Linux GDI. So I can't get to a root prompt to change anything :(

I wasn't given the option on install to change anything in the boot loader - it set it itself.

Mike. 		Mike (15)
94634 2002-10-30 20:27:00 LOL neither of those work for me :( I think I might ditch it and move to a more common distro :D

Mike. 		Mike (15)
94635 2002-10-30 20:42:00 What distro are you running?

With debian you would just have to either remove the packages that are displaying the grahical login e.g. xdm, gdm or kdm.

Or simply remove the links at startup that are running the xdm etc programs.
e.g. update-rc.d remove xdm.

The symbolic links are in /etc/rcX.d/ where X is a number.

You could also look at rc.local for your distro. 		gibler (49)
94636 2002-10-30 20:52:00 >>> What distro are you running?

Lycoris Desktop/LX

>>> The symbolic links are in /etc/rcX.d/ where X is a number.
>>> You could also look at rc.local for your distro.

That's all fine, except I can't get into anywhere to access those places :) I can't get to a prompt - it'll only take me to the GDI, and the GDI crashes for some reason.

Mike. 		Mike (15)
94637 2002-10-30 21:11:00 Er can't you switch to a virtual console using the combo of keys CTL-ALT-F1 or CTL-ALT-F2 or CTL-ALT-F3 ..... ? gibler (49)
94638 2002-10-31 00:07:00 >>> Er can't you switch to a virtual console using the combo of
>>> keys CTL-ALT-F1 or CTL-ALT-F2 or CTL-ALT-F3 ..... ?

No.

Mike. 		Mike (15)
94639 2002-10-31 02:49:00 Ctrl/Alt/Backspace should tell the Xwindow server to stop. That's what it's for.

Try the Documentation on your install disk ... or somewhere : Grub must have a way to tell you what answers you can give at the "boot:" prompt.
<Tab> to the "boot: " in lilo gives the list ... Grub should have an equivalent. "linux 1" or "linux single" gets you a single (root) user, no password entry ... "linux 3" in RH/lilo gives you a normal multiuser command-line boot. 		Graham L (2)
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