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Topic: No virtual terminals with X

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mikshaw

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Joined: July 2004

Posted: June 13 2005,15:22

Look into /etc/inittab
This file sets up the virtual terminals...you can see that only one is created in runlevel 5, and four are created in runlevel 2. Maybe you can make some changes to this.

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http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/index.html

tbielawa

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Posted: June 13 2005,16:17

Quote (mikshaw @ June 13 2005,11:22)

Look into /etc/inittab
This file sets up the virtual terminals...you can see that only one is created in runlevel 5, and four are created in runlevel 2. Maybe you can make some changes to this.

As stated previously, there are four fully functional virtual terminals in run level 2, no problems here. In run level 5 with X running there are no virtual terminals (when there should be 1 according to inittab). Modifying inittab to create 4 virtual terminals in run level 5 does not change there behavior seen. There are still no virtual terminals while X is running. A bigger issue here than the lack of virtual terminals while X is running is that if you press Ctrl-Alt-Fx your system is hosed and you need to reboot.

tbielawa

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Joined: June 2005

Posted: June 17 2005,01:14

Update:

Booting with the vga=normal cheat code solves the problem on all of the machines I've tested on. I have yet to find the reason behind the problem, or why this fixes it. All other vga=7xx codes experience the issue.

mikshaw

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Joined: July 2004

Posted: June 17 2005,16:33

As stated previously, inittab handles your virtual terminals. The one that you see listed in inittab for runlevel 5 does exist, but it is used for the X session. Runlevel 5 in debian systems is equivalent to runlevel 3 in many other distros, except that 'startx' is run as soon as you log in. Exit fluxbox and you be in a terminal.

Here's what i did to get multiple terminals in runlevel 5, without needing to change my display settings:

This is in the original /etc/inittab
1:12345:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty1 2>&1 </dev/tty1
2:234:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty2 2>&1 </dev/tty2
3:234:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty3 2>&1 </dev/tty3
4:234:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty4 2>&1 </dev/tty4

I changed it to this:
1:12345:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty1 2>&1 </dev/tty1
2:2345:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty2 2>&1 </dev/tty2
3:2345:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty3 2>&1 </dev/tty3
4:2345:respawn:/bin/bash -login >/dev/tty4 2>&1 </dev/tty4

Now i have 3 additional terminals in runlevel 5. I get to the others with Ctrl+Alt+F#, and get back into X with Alt+F5

--------------
http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/index.html

tbielawa

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Joined: June 2005

Posted: June 17 2005,16:37

That was the first thing I tried, and it doesn't work for me on 5 different computers and in Virtual PC. The only way I can get to the virtual terminals is by booting with vga=normal. Maybe I just got "lucky" with the machines I'm testing on.

19 replies since June 13 2005,04:27

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