> 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.
Not necessarily. The X server is also responsible for input focus - one might argue that's its primary job - and if it's *really* unhappy, it won't get around to your useful keystroke. Too busy dealing with a crying vidcard. Maybe next week sometime. Meanwhile your monitor is squealing at you :( :( :( > If the X server locks up, you can > always use alt+sysrq+u, alt+sysrq+b Magic sysrq's might only work at a console prompt. cf above, your keyboard may be inoperable. Been there, done that ... have lots of t-shirts ... > 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. Yes, and yes. Esp. with those modern AGP things. > 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. Thus my recommendation. Already being logged in will tell you for sure if it's really dead or just blitting out on you. * Heather Stern * star@ many places...
