[Solved] Switching from text to graphics mode?

[bhamm77]

I have switched my desktop from graphics mode to text mode by using Ctrl+Alt+F1.

Does anyone know how to switch back to graphics? The only way I know is to reboot?

Thanks!

[tnorris]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

Ctrl-Alt-F7

[Ole Juul]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

That's a really nice trick. I like the text mode a lot better than the konsole. How do people usually use this?

[olembe]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

You have (by default) 6 text consoles. You activate them by pressing ctrl-alt-F1, ctrl-alt-F2, and so on. You can have different activities going on in each and swap between them as you like.

Once you start X (the graphic window system), this creates new terminals. The first is ctrl-alt-F7, and if you were to start yet another X session this would go into ctrl-alt-F8.

Like you, I sometimes prefer the text console to a terminal and just swap between the console and the windows system as the mood takes me.

[tnorris]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

The main value for me is every now and then X can lock up or an application can lock up that prevents me from interacting with my X Session in some way. In those cases I switch to a text console and can take whatever action is necessary (e.g. kill a process, restart X, etc.) to get my X session back. It's much quicker and safer than a hard reboot.

[olembe]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

Ha! I was just about to edit my post to say that the text terminals are great for solving problems!

[Ole Juul]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

I remember multible terminals being used (or referenced) in some early tries I had with Linux. Early Slack or RH5.1 or something. I had forgotten that it needed the Alt key as well. I'm looking forward to some new functionality here. Being a DOShead, I feel quite comfortable with the text, it's just that I haven't learnt enough basics (like the shell) to really get going on that level in Linux. I must admit that part of the appeal of Kubuntu has been an easy to understand and configurable GUI - but I'm moving away from that again. Thanks guys!

[bhamm77]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

Ctrl+Alt+F7. That is what I read when I did a google search. But this is not working for me.

Ctrl+Alt+F1-6 works fine. It goes from one session to the next and back to the first session with no problem. But I'm not getting anything (no response at all) from Ctrl+Alt+F7.

Ctrl+Alt+F8 gives me a message: Starting K Display Manager......then it list a short checklist with [ok] to the side of the list lines. After that, nothing happens ):

Anyone know what could be the problem?

[dibl]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

Sounds like something broke (software, not HW) with your X server.

From your CLI, try this:

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

What happens?

[bhamm77]

Re: Switching from text to graphics mode?

From your CLI, try this:

Code:
sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

Code:
sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

What happens?

Thankyou dibl. That worked perfectly. It is doing exactly as it should.