On Thu, Jun 28, 2001 at 10:59:28AM -0700, Heather wrote: > > and the slightest variation can result in a black screen when your start > > the X server. > > I recommend having your net connection live and be ssh'd in from another box. > That keeps you a visible text session. > > You can sometimes use a different GUI utility (e.g. SVGAlib app, or vga_reset > or something) to reinit the video and keep working without having to reboot > to yank its chain.
CTRL+ALT+backspace or CTRL+ALT+F1 still work even when the display doesn't want to show you anything. If the X server locks up, you can always use alt+sysrq+u, alt+sysrq+b to umount/remount-readonly all your partitions, then reboot. This is handled very early on in the kernel, so it doesn't stop working no matter what user space software does, unless the kernel itself actually locks up, or the keyboard physically stops working. Of course, rebooting takes time, so if ctrl+alt+backspace doesn't work then logging in remotely with ssh or a null modem before messing with stuff will save time. -- #define X(x,y) x##y Peter Cordes ; e-mail: X([EMAIL PROTECTED] , ns.ca) "The gods confound the man who first found out how to distinguish the hours! Confound him, too, who in this place set up a sundial, to cut and hack my day so wretchedly into small pieces!" -- Plautus, 200 BCE
