Console doesn't work!

[shiv_379]

Eek! If I choose to drop to console mode from the X login screen I am greeting with a black screen that doesn't seem to respond to anything, however after some time the X login screen returns. I have suspicion that this is related to my recent troubles with the "nv"/"nvidia" display drivers, but can anyone suggest steps I could take to investigate and solve this?

~Shiv

[askrieger]

Re: Console doesn't work!

Please define "drop into console mode". Exactly what did you do to "drop into console mode"?

[shiv_379]

Re: Console doesn't work!

Apologies, from that I meant choosing "Console Login" from the Kubuntu login menu.
I have managed to fix that somewhat by adding vga=normal to the grub boot options but that is more of a quickfix that actually solving the problem in hand.

~Shiv

[askrieger]

Re: Console doesn't work!

What happens if you drop into console mode by typing Ctl-Alt-F1 at any KDE screen? This starts another console without killing your current KDE. You get back to KDE by typing Ctl-Alt-F7. Also, why don't you just start a terminal emulator (K>System>Konsole)? I must admit that I had forgotten that you could login to console 7 at the KDM prompt.

[shiv_379]

Re: Console doesn't work!

If I try that nothing happens at all, not even an indication that I've hit a valid shortcut
This is the same if I boot with the vga=normal option. Although if I hit ctrl+esc I can see the getty processes running.

~Shiv

[askrieger]

Re: Console doesn't work!

What you're describing is not normal behavior. I'm going to have think about it a bit to even come up with a way to determine the nature of your problem.

[shiv_379]

Re: Console doesn't work!

If it's any help at all, I tried something suggested here (problem 12), namely removing the "splash" from the #defoptions line in /boot/grub/menu.lst. Unfortunately that didn't fix my problem

There are a number of warnings that come up at boot time and I don't know if they might be related because they scroll by too fast, however I don't seem to have a boot log anywhere. I believe I need to enable bootlogd to capture this output, but I don't really understand how! Any hints? (The Man/Info pages weren't much use on that)

NB: I don't have a graphics card mentioned in the problem linked above, but the symptoms are the same.
~Shiv

[shiv_379]

Re: Console doesn't work!

Well I don't know if this will help at all, but I figure as much details as possible right?
I can get into a terminal by using

sudo openvt -s

and I can alt+f7 back to desktop. However I cant then ctrl+alt+f1 back to it

I can also

sudo chvt 1

to get into a console and alt F7 back out.

Also I've noticed some odd behaviour that may or may not be related. I've lost the pound symbol (the GBP not the #). All my other symbols on the number keys work fine, but if I hold shift and press 3 on my keyboard (UK keyboard) I get..."3"!

EDIT: After the above I suspected it was a keyboard issue rather than an actual console issue as I'd originally thought. Sure enough changing the keyboard from "Generic 105-key (Intl) PC" to "Generic 104-Key PC" has fixed at least some of the problem, I can now crtl+alt+Fn into the consoles. Going to reboot now and see if I can choose console login from the Kubuntu login screen.

~Shiv